OCT  311925 


BV  1471  .B76  1922 
Brown,  M.  Florence, 
God  the  loving  Father 


)^{  OF  nikcfy. 


God  the  Loving 


Primary  Department,  First  Year 

By     / 
M.  FLORENCE  BROWN 

The  Westminster  Textbooks  of  Religious  Education 

For  Church  Schools  Having  Sunday,  Week 

Day,  and  Expressional  Sessions 

Edited  by  JOHN  T.  FARIS,  D.D. 


Philadelphia 

The  Westminster  Press 

1922 


Copyright,  1921, 
by  F.  M.  BRASELMAN 


Preface 

The  Westminster  Textbooks  of  Religious  Education  are 
planned  to  meet  the  needs  of  churches  seeking  to  unify  their 
educational  program.  The  informational,  devotional,  and 
expressional  phases  of  religious  education  have  been,  hereto- 
fore, to  a  large  extent,  independent  of  one  another.  This 
lack  of  correlation  has  been  detrimental  to  educational  effi- 
ciency. Time  and  effort  have  been  lost  through  duplication. 
Valuable  information  has  failed  to  register  itself  in  conduct 
because  of  the  lack  of  suitable  opportunities  for  expression. 
Many  of  our  churches  have  been  feeling  their  way  toward 
better  educational  standards.  It  is  in  response  to  the  re- 
quests and  needs  of  these  churches  that  the  series  of  lessons 
has  been  undertaken. 

These  textbooks  as  prepared  for  the  Intermediate  and 
Junior  Departments  are  planned  for  church  schools  having 
a.  Week  Day  Session,  a  Sunday  Session,  and  an  Expres- 
sional Session,  meeting  either  on  Sunday  or  on  a  v/eek  day. 
An  absolute  dift'erentiation  of  the  three  phases  of  the  edu- 
cative process  is  neither  possible  nor  desirable.  The  lessons 
are  so  arranged,  however,  that  the  Week  Day  Session  is 
mainly  informational,  the  Sunday  Session  more  largely  de- 
votional, and  the  third  session  of  the  week  largely  expres- 
sional. It  has  been  decided,  however,  that  it  is  unwise  to 
give  to  the  pupils  of  the  Primary  Department  an  Expres- 
sional Session,  so  that  for  these  grades  only  two  sessions 
are  planned. 

Since  the  course  is  a  unity,  it  is  not  necessarily  con- 
fined to  the  plan  suggested.  It  would  be  equally  suited  to  a 
week-day  church  school  system  having  three  sessions  a  week 
for  the  older  pupils,  and  two  sessions  for  the  Primary  De- 
partment, and  unrelated  to  the  Sunday-school  program  of 
the  community.  The  course  could  be  adjusted  to  any  local 
condition,  provided  the  sequence  of  the  lessons  were  main- 
tained. 

Forty-two  lessons  of  three  sections  each  are  provided  for 
each  grade,  or  year  of  the  Intermediate  and  Junior  grades, 
and  forty-two  lessons  of  two  sections  each  for  the  Primary 


iv  PREFACE 

grade.  It  is  thought  that  this  will  furnish  material  for  a 
church  school  program  throughout  the  public  school  year. 
It  is  also  believed  that  many  schools  will  fmd  the  material 
sufficient  for  the  use  of  the  Sunday  session  during  that  part 
of  the  year  when  week-day  sessions  are  discontinued.  Much 
of  this  summer  season  might  be  spent  in  a  rapid  review  of 
the  work  covered  during  the  other  part  of  the  year.  No 
exact  adjustment  to  any  particular  circumstances  is  at- 
tempted because  of  the  fact  that  church  schools  differ  widely 
in  the  matter  of  their  summer  sessions.  Some  are  practically 
closed  all  summer ;  some  continue  on  as  extensive  a  basis  as 
during  other  parts  of  the  year.  The  whole  matter  of  ad- 
justment is  best  left  to  the  local  church  school  administra- 
tion. If  a  church  school  practically  closes  at  the  beginning 
of  summer,  it  would  be  well  for  the  authorities  of  that 
school  to  plan  for  a  completion  of  each  year's  course  at  that 
time.  If  the  school  runs  on  through  the  summer  with  un- 
diminished attendance,  more  time  may  be  taken  for  the  les- 
sons, a  part  of  each  book  being  left  for  completion  in  the 
summer  sessions.  Where  this  is  done,  the  section  intended 
for  the  week-day  lesson  may  be  taken  on  one  Sunday  of  the 
summer  period,  the  Sunday  lesson  related  to  this  week-day 
lesson  the  next  Sunday,  and  the  expressional  lesson,  in  older 
grades,  on  a  third  Sunday. 

In  the  first  pamphlet,  the  lessons  for  the  Primary  Depart- 
ment are  on  God  the  Loving  Father  and  His  Good  Gifts, 
God's  Care  Calling  Forth  Love  and  Thanks,  Love  Shown  by 
Giving. 

In  the  first  pamphlet,  the  lessons  for  the  Junior  Depart- 
ment are  on  The  Life  of  Christ.  "  Jesus  the  Light  of  the 
World  "  is  the  title  for  the  first  twenty-one  lessons. 

The  lessons  for  the  Intermediate  grades  are  built  on  the 
supposition  that  the  majority  of  the  pupils  have  become 
somewhat  familiar  with  the  Bible  stories,  especially  those  of 
the  Old  Testament.  Hence  the  stories  are  not  usually  told 
in  their  entirety,  but  the  treatment  is  more  largely  of  analysis 
and  illustration  of  the  truths  suggested  by  the  narratives  of 
the  Scripture.  If  it  be  found  that  most  of  the  pupils  are  not 
familiar  with  the  Bible  stories,  the  teacher  should  give  more 
attention  to  the  telling  of  these  stories  than  is  indicated  in 
the  lessons  as  they  are  here  presented. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface    iii 

Suggestions  to  the  Teacher ix 

GOD  THE  LOVING  FATHER  AND  HIS  GOOD  GIFTS 

Chapter            I.     God's  First  Gifts 3 

Chapter           II.     The  Gift  of  Water 11 

Chapter         III.     The  Gift  of  Daily  Bread 20 

Chapter         IV.     The  Right  Use  of  God's  Good 

Gifts  (Temperance  Lesson)  27 

GOD'S  CARE  CALLING  FORTH  LOVE  AND 
THANKS 

Chapter  V.     The   Story  of  Noah  and  the 

Ark Z7 

Chapter         VI.     Noah  Thanking  God 46 

Chapter        VTI.     The  People  of  Israel  Saved  at 

the  Red  Sea 55 

Chapter      VIII.     Review 64 

Chapter          IX.     Willing  Gifts  for  God's  House  72 

Chapter           X.     A  Mother's  Gift 80 

LOVE  SHOWN  BY  GIVING 
Chapter         XL     Giving  in  God's  House 91 

GOD'S  BEST  GIFT 

Chapter        XII.     The  Baby  Jesus  in  a  Manger. .    101 
Chapter      XIII.     The  Friend  of  the  Friendless : 

The  Wise  Fairy Ill 

GOD  THE  PROTECTOR 

Chapter      XIV.     The  Baby  Jesus  Saved  From 

Danger 123 

V 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Chapter              XV.     The  Story  of  the  Baby  Moses.  135 
How  God  Found  the  Way  to 
a  Seabound  Cottage 139 

Chapter  XVI.      Hiding  a  Boy  King 144 

God  the  Protector 147 

Chapter  XVU.     A  King's  Message  to  a  Lame 

Prince 152 

What  Happened  at  Shushan 
the  Palace 157 

Chapter        XVHI.     A  Lonely  Hiding  Place 162 

The  Treasure  Trove. 166 

Chapter  XIX.      Led  by  a  Pillar  of  Cloud  and 

Fire 171 

The  Swiss  Wood  Carver 175 

Chapter             XX.     The  Story  of  Jacob's  Ladder.    180 
Grandfather  Rogerson's   Gift 
to  the  Paton  Family 184 

Chapter  XXI.     Review:     Dramatization     of 

"  Grandfather      Rogerson's 
Gift  to  the  Paton  Family  " .    189 
Dramatization  of  "  The  Story 
of  the  Baby  Moses  " 194 

GOD  FORGIVING  HIS  CHILDREN 

Chapter  XXII.     The  Story  of  the  Garden  of 

Eden   201 

Down  Cedar  Hill :  A  Story  of 
a  Father's  Forgiveness 205 

Chapter        XXIII.      Selfishness  Forgiven 211 

Asking  Forgiveness 214 

Chapter        XXIV.     Zacchaeus 219 

The  Story  of  the  Sheep  that 
Was  Lost 223 


TABLE  OF  CONTKNTS  vii 

PACK 

GOD  THE  GIVER  OF  LIFE  ON  EARTH  AND 
IN  HEAVEN 

Chapter  XXV.     The    Awakening    of    Hidden 

Life   229 

"  Behold  the  Birds  .  .  .  Con- 
sider the  LiHes  " 234 

Chapter  XXVI.     Jesus  Risen 238 

Easter  Service 240 

Chapter  XXVII.     A  Wonderful  Spring  Walk..  .   244 

Jesus    Going   to    Prepare    the 
Heavenly  Home 247 

Chapter         XXVIII.     The  City  of  the  Tree  of  Life.   251 

Review 253 

GOD  SPEAKING  TO  A  CHILD 

Chapter  XXIX.    God  Speaking  to  a  Child 257 

"  He  Calleth.  .  .by  Name  "...   262 

SPEAKING  TO  GOD  IN  PRAYER 

Chapter  XXX.     Ezra's  Prayer  for  Help  on  a 

Journey    269 

At  the  House  of  Mary 274 

Chapter  XXXI.     King      David's      Wish      and 

Prayer    279 

The  Answer  "No" 283 

HOW  WE  MAY  WORSHIP  GOD 

Chapter  XXXII.     Bringing  Our  Gifts  to  God.  .   291 

"Ye  Did  It  Unto  Me" 295 

Chapter         XXXIII.     Listening  and  Talking  to  God.  300 

"  In  Shushan  the  Palace  "...   304 

Chapter  XXXIV.     His  Day  in  the  Country 309 

Review   314 


viii  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Chapter  XXXV.     God's   Protecting  Care 321 

Little  Bhau   (Brother) 325 

Chapter  XXXVI.     God,    the    Father,    and     His 

Gifts   329 

Some  Other  Good  Gifts  from 
God 334 

Chapter        XXXVII.     God's  Best  Gift  to  the  World 

(Missionary    Lesson)....     339 
Other  Sheep 343 

Chapter      ^XXVIII.     Review :    Exercises    Showing 

Several    Good    Gifts    from 
God,  Our  Loving  Father..   347 
Stories    Retold 350 

PLEASING  GOD  BY  RIGHT  DOING 

Chapter         XXXIX.     Joseph  Obeying  His  Father..   357 

"  If    There  Be    with    Thee   a 
Poor  Man 361 

Chapter  XL.     Joseph's  Unkind  Brothers...    365 

Beautiful    Hands 369 

Chapter  XLI.     Joseph  in  the  Far  Country  of 

Egypt 374 

Joseph's     Kindness     to     His 
Brothers 378 

Chapter  XLII.    Joseph's  Care  of  His  Father.   383 

The  Message  to  His  Uncle..   387 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE  TEACHER 

The  Lives  to  Be  Influenced 

When  the  Master  was  upon  earth  he  said,  "  Suffer  the 
Httle  children  to  come  unto  me ;  forbid  them  not :  for 
to  such  belongeth  the  kingdom  of  God."  To  show  these 
httle  ones  the  way  to  the  Master  and  to  give  them  the  re- 
ligious instruction  which  will  enable  them  to  obey  the  laws 
which  God  has  given  all  his  children  to  keep,  is  one  of  the 
primary  objectives  of  our  Church. 

More  and  more  attention  is  being  given  to  the  proper  kind 
of  instruction  necessary  to  the  best  help  of  these  children, 
and  the  Church  may  justly  be  proud  of  the  resulting  litera- 
ture available  for  such  teaching.  Of  late  there  has  been  a 
growing  feeling  that  there  is  need  for  further  instruction 
than  it  is  possible  to  give  in  the  one  hour  of  Sunday  which  is 
generally  devoted  to  it,  and  a  movement  has  been  started  to 
establish  schools  for  week-day  religious  instruction  which 
will  hold  for  one  or  two  sessions  a  week  in  addition  to  and 
correlated  with  the  Sunday-school  lesson.  Such  schools  have 
been  begun  in  a  number  of  sections  with  marked  success, 
and  an  effort  is  being  made  to  supply  them  as  well  as  others 
which  it  is  hoped  may  be  formed,  with  proper  literature  and 
equipment. 

Surely  at  no  time  in  history  has  there  been  a  more  press- 
ing need  to  make  God  and  his  Kingdom  and  the  coming 
into  his  Kingdom  of  vital  moment  in  the  life  of  our  nation 
than  the  present. 

This  book  is  prepared  for  the  children  of  six,  seven,  and 
eight  years  of  age  and  their  teachers — the  Primary  Grade. 
The  lessons  are  closely  correlated  with  the  Primary  De- 
partmental Graded  Lessons.  There  will  be  two  lessons  for 
each  week,  one  for  a  week-day  and  one  for  a  Sunday  session. 
The  lesson  prepared  for  the  week  day  will  be  chiefly  instruc- 
tional, almost  always  a  Biblical  story.  The  lesson  prepared 
for  Sunday  will  be  devotional  in  character,  and  will  often 
show  how  the  thought  aroused  and  the  conclusions  gained 

ix 


X  TO  THK  TEACHER 

in  the  preceding  Biblical  story  may  be  applied  tO'  the  little, 
unfolding  lives  of  the  children.  They  will  be  lessons  in 
character-building. 

There  will  be  ample  suggestions  for  expressional  activities 
throughout  the  course.  Simply  giving  the  intellectual  in- 
struction is  not  enough.  Something  must  be  done  to  bring 
this  truth  into  the  very  life  of  the  pupil.  To  do  this  let  us 
help  the  children  to  carry  out  in  some  action  the  truth  which 
has  become  mentally  theirs.  There  are  many,  many  ways 
of  doing  this — giving  gifts  to  the  poor,  sharing  at  the  holi- 
day seasons,  performing  everyday  acts  of  kindness  to  the 
comrades  round  about  them. 

The:  Schoolroom 

We  all  know  that  a  pleasant  environment  has  much  to  do 
with  the  happiness  of  the  children  in  a  schoolroom,  as  well 
as  with  the  actual  influence  and  success  of  the  teacher  her- 
self. The  room  should  be  chosen  for  its  brightness  and 
cheeriness  in  as  far  as  this  is  possible.  But  even  if  the  room 
is  not  so  satisfactory  as  one  covild  wish,  much  can  be  done  to 
improve  it  by  means  of  proper  color  schemes  in  decoration 
and  touches  of  beauty  in  the  furnishings. 

First  of  aU,  be  neat ;  do  not  allow  your  room  to  become 
cluttered  and  disorderly  in  appearance.  Have  a  place  for 
everything  and  everything  in  its  place,  and  insist  upon  this 
personal  characteristic  from  yourself  and  from  the  children. 
Have  a  cabinet  or  set  of  shelves. 

There  are  certain  supplies  that  will  be  necessary : 


Desks  or  tables 

Pencils 

Blunt  scissors 

Bibles 

Crayon 

Pictures 

Paper 

Erasers 

Paste 

Have  a  few  good  pictures  on  the  wall.  A  vase  of  fresh 
flowers  in  season — or  often  one  single  fine  specimen — adds 
more  joy  than  perhaps  you  realize. 

Little  by  little  add  to  your  cabinet  such  curios  and  per- 
manent supplies  as  you  can  gather,  in  time  making  a  really 
valuable  museum. 

Have  a  sand  table ;  no  other  feature  will  be  found  more 
useful  for  illustrating  purposes. 


TO  THE  TEACHER  xi 

The  following  books  will  be  useful  for  your  bookshelf : 

"  How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children,"  Sara  Cone  Bryant. 

"  Stories  to  Tell  to  Children,"  Sara  Cone  Bryant. 

**  Stories  for  Sunday  Telling,"  Carolyn  Sherwin  Bailey. 

"  For  the  Children's  Hour,"  Bailey  and  Lewis. 

"Manual  of  Stories,". William  Byron  Forbush. 

"  Stories  and  Story  Telling,"  Edward  Porter  St.  John. 

"  All  About  the  Primary,"  Elizabeth  Williams  Sudlow. 

"  The  Primary  Department,"  Phoebe  A.  Curtiss. 

Handwork 

Some  form  of  handwork  is  of  great  help  in  making  per- 
manent the  thought  which  you  have  been  developing.  This 
will  not  be  necessary  for  every  lesson,  but  should  have  a 
place  in  many.  The  series  of  handwork  leaflets  which  is 
furnished  wath  the  Primary  Departmental  Lessons,  pub- 
lished by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication  and  Sab- 
bath School  Work,  will  prove  helpful  and  suggestive.  Poster 
picture  work,  folding,  and  booklet  making  should  be  arranged 
by  the  teacher  according  to  the  need  of  the  particular  lesson 
and  the  ability  of  her  particular  children. 

Thk  Trachkr's  Aim 

The  Primary  age  is  eminently  a  habit  forming  period,  as 
the  child's  brain  is  at  this  time  so  plastic.  Let  us  take  ad- 
vantage of  this  fact  and  help  to  estabhsh  habits  of  right 
living.  Let  us  help  him  to  turn  unconsciously  in  loving 
obedience  to  God's  rules. 

It  will  be  necessary  for  the  teacher  to  understand  child 
nature  and  to  make  a  study  of  child  psychology.  Not  only 
should  she  understand  the  child  in  general,  but  she  should 
also  study  her  particular  children  for  all  children  vary  to 
some  degree  from  the  pattern  child. 

Remember  that  the  lessons  given  are  not  to  be  followed 
mechanically,  but  are  given  as  guides  and  suggestions.  Only 
as  they  are  helpful  as  means  of  influencing  the  teacher  to 
give  the  very  best  of  herself,  a  love  and  enthusiasm  for  her 
work,  as  well  as  arousing  her  initiative  and  originality,  are 
they  of  value. 


xii  TO  THE  TEACHER 

A  Word  as  to  th^  Story 

A  teacher  of  any  experience  whatever  recognizes  the  fact 
that  the  story  form  is  the  all-important  means  of  reaching 
the  mind  of  a  Primary  child.  Story-telling  is  much  easier 
for  some  teachers  than  for  others,  but  all  teachers  may  im- 
prove this  ability  by  the  right  kind  of  practice  and  by  the 
observance  of  certain  facts.  Avoid  a  strained,  high-pitched, 
falsetto  voice ;  be  natural ;  be  yourself.  Cultivate  a  low, 
clear  voice,  and  make  only  such  gestures  as  seem  positively 
necessary,  gestures  which  creep  in  unconsciously. 

Much,  very  much  depends  upon  your  first  sentence  or  two ; 
if  you  cannot  capture  interest  by  these,  you  probably  will 
not  gain  attention  at  all.  Work  up  to  your  climax,  then  give 
a  short,  terse  conclusion.  Do  not  hammer  in  a  moral.  Your 
story  should  teach  your  lesson  without  this  fault,  which  is 
always  detected  and  loathed  by  a  bright,  healthy,  normal, 
everyday  boy  or  girl. 

Dramatics 

A  story  is  often  most  satisfactorily  clinched  by  means  of 
simple  dramatics.  Many  of  the  children  are  quite  familiar 
with  this  mode  of  expression  as  in  recent  years  considerable 
attention  is  being  devoted  to  such  exercises  in  the  day 
schools. 

Review  lessons  are  often  made  delightful  instead  of  dull 
by  this  form  of  expression  and  several  such  lessons  are 
provided  for  in  this  book.  The  teacher  may  simplify  or 
elaborate  these  as  she  pleases,  according  to  the  age  and 
ability  of  her  pupils. 

Lkssons  for  Spkcial  Days 

Teachers  may  desire  to  shift  lessons  in  order  to  bring  the 
Christmas  and  Easter  lessons  at  the  proper  dates. 


GOD  THE  LOVING  FATHER  AND  HIS  GOOD 
GIFTS 


CHAPTER  I 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

GOD'S  FIRST  GIFTS 

I.     He  Prepares  a  Home. 
II.     He  Fills  the  Home  with  Gifts. 
III.     He  Creates  Man. 

Genesis  1:1  to  2 :3  ;  Psalm  33  :6-9 

Mkmory  VersKS 

"  God  is  love."— I  John  4  :8. 

"  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven?  and  the 
earth." — Genesis  1:1. 

The  Ti:ache:r's  Pre:paration 

A  certain  amount  of  reverence  and  awe  are  native  in 
the  normal  Primary  child,  and  he  receives  with  faith  and 
belief  truths  that  are  given  him  by  one  whom  he  loves 
and  trusts.  Truths  are  best  given  to  a  little  child  through 
the  help  of  stories.  These  first  great  Bible  stories  if 
rightly  told  will  make  a  special  appeal  and  will  become  a 
part  of  the  foundation  structure  upon  which  his  character 
is  building. 

As  Wordsworth  said,  "  Pleaven  lies  about  us  in  our 
infancy."  It  is  the  teacher's  aim  to  help  the  child  to 
recognize  his  relationship  to  God,  his  heavenly  Father,  to 
turn  to  him  in  love,  to  reverence  his  power,  to  give  grati- 
tude for  his  constant  gifts,  to  bring  his  daily  life  into 
obedience  to  God's  will. 

The:  Story 

Gifts :  "  The  world  is  so  full  of  a  number  of  things." 
There  never  has  been  a  time  when  God  was  not.     God 
lived  before  you  were  born,  before  father  and  mother 
were  born,  before   grandfather  and   grandmother  were 

3 


4  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

born.  Indeed,  God  lived  before  there  was  any  world  at 
all,  and  he  was  great  and  strong  and  loving. 

Away  back,  no  one  knows  how  many  years  ago,  God 
made  the  world.  But  even  though  the  world  was  made, 
it  still  was  a  dark  and  dreary  place  with  no  plants  or  ani- 
mals or  people  upon  it.  However,  God  had  only  begun  to 
carry  out  a  wonderful  plan. 

After  the  world  was  made,  God  said,  "  Let  there  be 
light,"  and  there  was  light.  Did  you  ever  get  up  early 
enough  in  the  morning  to  see  the  light  come  creeping, 
creeping  over  the  earth?  I  have,  and  I  think  you  have. 
If  so,  you  remember  how  beautiful  the  first  soft  rays 
were  as  they  touched  the  trees  and  the  hills  and  at  last 
peeped  into  your  window.  You  can  imagine  with  me  how 
wonderful  and  beautiful  that  first  light  was. 

God  saw  that  the  light  was  good  and  he  divided  the 
light  from  darkness.  He  called  the  light  day,  and  the  dark- 
ness he  called  night. 

Then  God  made  the  sky,  and  the  day  and  the  night  of 
the  second  day  were  past. 

God  then  made  the  dry  land  to  appear,  and  he  called 
the  land  "  earth,"  and  he  gathered  the  waters  together 
and  called  the  waters  "  the  seas."  He  told  the  grass  to 
grow,  and  he  called  the  flowers,  and  made  the  first  trees. 
The  earth  was  then  growing  more  and  more  beautiful, 
and  the  morning  and  evening  of  the  third  day  were  past. 

Then  God  made  two  great  lights,  the  sun  to  make  the 
day  bright,  and  the  moon  and  the  stars  to  give  a  soft 
light  at  night. 

Now,  although  the  world  had  grown  so  beautiful,  not 
a  living  creature  was  yet  to  be  found  upon  it,  not  even  so 
much  as  a  tiny  bird  or  bunny.  When  the  fifth  day 
dawned  God  said,  "  Let  the  waters  swarm  with  swarms 
of  living  creatures,  and  let  the  birds  fly  in  the  air,"  and 
the  seas  were  filled  with  tiny  fish  and  great  sea  monsters ; 
and  the  songs  of  birds  echoed  over  the  earth.  And  the 
fifth  day  passed. 

God  also  put  animals  upon  the  earth,  great  beasts  and 
small. 

When  this  world  was  all  ready,  like  a  beautiful  garden, 
God  did  the  most  wonderful  thing  of  all:  he  made  a  man, 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  5 

in  his  own  image.  He  gave  him  eyes  to  see  the  light, 
ears  to  hear  the  songs  of  the  birds  and  the  tinkle  of  the 
brooks,  a  mouth  to  taste  the  fruits  and  berries  of  the 
garden,  feet  that  he  might  run  about  and  walk,  and  hands 
with  which  to  work. 

God  named  the  man  Adam,  and  called  him  his  son.  God 
loved  Adam  so  dearly  that  he  said :  "  Adam,  I  have  made 
this  world  for  you.  The  light  is  yours;  the  quiet  night- 
time is  yours ;  the  trees  and  the  fruits  are  yours,  save  one ; 
and  the  birds  and  the  fish  and  the  animals  are  yours.  Take 
these  gifts,  my  son,  and  use  them.  Here  in  the  garden  you 
will  find  food  and  drink  and  life  and  happiness." 

Then,  in  order  that  Adam  should  not  be  lonely,  and 
should  have  some  one  with  whom  he  could  talk,  some  one 
with  whom  he  could  walk  about  in  the  beautiful  garden  and 
look  at  the  gifts,  God  created  a  woman.  The  woman  was 
Adam's  wife,  and  he  called  her  Eve. 

When  all  was  done,  the  seventh  day  had  come.  God 
called  it  the  Sabbath,  and  he  rested. 

The  song  on  page  6  is  to  be  used  with  this  theme. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

GOD'S  WORK. 


Mrs.  C.  F.  Alexander. 


S^± 


:4:j: 


A— ^- 


#— ^ 


^_^__^ 


Fanny  B.  Earle. 


1.  All    things  bright  and  beau-ti-ful,  All  creatures  great  and  snaall; 

2.  Each  lit-tle  flow'r  that  o  -    pens,  Each  lit  -  tie  bird  that  sings,  He 

3.  He  gave  us  eyes  to    see    them,  And  lips  that  we  might  tell, How 


s- 


^=: 


-]rz± 


r- 


i^rrj: 


i=^ 


U-4-, 


PP^Hi 


f- 


'2^--=- 


^l 


i 


?^. 


All    things  wise  and  won-der-ful,  The  Lord  God  made  them  all. 
made  their  glow-ing  col    -     ors,  He  made  their     ti  -  ny  wings, 
good    is    God    our  Fa  -    ther,  Who  do  -  eth    all  thmgs  well. 


t- 


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From  "Carols."     Permission  of  Leyda  Publishing  Company,  Wapello,  Iowa. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  7 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  GIFT  OF  LIGHT 

I.     Its  Use  to  Adam  and  Eve. 
II.     Its  Use  to  All  People. 
III.     Its  Use  to  You  and  Me. 

"  God  said,  Let  there  be  light :  and  there  was  light. 

"And  God  saw  the  light,  that  it  was  good:  and  God 
divided  the  light  from  the  darkness. 

"  And  God  called  the  light  Day,  and  the  darkness  he 
called  Night."— Genesis  1 :3-5. 

"  Even  so  let  your  light  shine  before  men ;  that  they  may 
see  your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven." — Matthew  5:16. 

Memory  Verse: 
"  God  said,  Let  there  be  light." — Genesis  1 :3. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

We  oftentimes  accept  the  things  that  come  easily  as  a 
matter  of  course,  and  do  not  fully  appreciate  them,  till 
perhaps  we  are  deprived  of  them  permanently  or  for  a 
season.  Let  us  aim  to  correct  this  common  fault  by  devot- 
ing a  lesson  to  the  consideration  of  the  real  meaning  of 
these  first  great  gifts,  selecting  one  in  particular.  Show  the 
children  how  comfort  and  even  life  itself  are  dependent 
upon  these  things.  The  lesson  following  considers  the  first 
gift,  that  of  light.  Let  us  show  its  use  first  to  the  dwellers 
in  Eden,  then  to  the  world,  and  finally  to  the  child  himself. 
Turn  the  pupil's  attention  to  his  indebtedness  to  God  for 
this  gift,  and  awaken  his  gratitude.  Inspire  him  to  use  his 
gift  in  the  right  ways  intended  by  his  heavenly  Father.  This 
may  be  accomplished  through  help  of  a  story  of  a  little 
child  who  did  his  duty  all  day  long.  A  list  of  stories  is  given 
on  page  8.    Select  one  of  them  and  adapt  it  to  this  purpose. 

In  a  nutshell,  bring  this  lesson   down  to  the  question: 

"  HOW  Wllyl.  YOU  SPEND  YOUR  DAY  ?  " 


8  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

A  Short  List  of  Supplemkntai,  Stories 

"  Pippa  Passes,"  Browning. 
"  Little  Gustava,"  Celia  Thaxter. 

"Little  Maid  Hildegarde,"  in  "The  Story-Teller,"  by 
Maud  Lindsay. 

Walk 
Boldly  and  wisely  in  that  light  thou  hast — 
There  is  a  hand  above  will  help  thee  on. 

— Bailey. 

The  Story 

And  all  things  said  to  the  beautiful  Sun 

Good  morning!     Good  morning!     Our  work  is  begun! 

— Lord  Houghton 

When  I  told  you  the  story  about  Adam  and  Eve  and 
their  home  in  the  garden,  the  other  day,  I  named  some  of 
the  gifts  that  God  gave  to  make  them  happy.  Who  can 
tell  me  one  gift?  Another?  Another?  Yes,  the  animals,  the 
trees,  the  fruits,  the  fish.  You  remember  that  the  first  gift 
that  God  gave  his  children,  Adam  and  Eve,  was  the  gift  of 
light.  You  remember  how  God  said,  "  Let  there  be  light," 
and  there  was  light.  Before  that,  darkness  had  been  every- 
where. It  would  have  been  a  very  dreary  home  if  there 
had  been  no  fight,  and  it  had  been  like  night  all  the  time. 
You  remember,  too,  that  God  gave  his  children  eyes  to  see 
the  light.  I  think  that  Adam  and  Eve  must  have  thought 
the  soft  light  of  the  early  morning  very  beautiful  as  it  came 
creeping  over  the  garden  and  waking  up  the  flower  buds ; 
and  I  think  they  must  have  felt  like  getting  to  work  as 
soon  as  the  light  made  the  garden  bright  enough  to  see. 

If  you  go  to  the  country  in  the  summer  time,  you  can 
hardly  wait  to  get  to  work,  helping  to  feed  the  chickens, 
and  to  take  care  of  the  farm  animals.  God  knew  that  it 
would  be  a  pleasant  thing  for  Adam  and  Eve  to  work  in  that 
garden.  Part  of  his  plan  was  to  give  the  light  to  make  it 
possible  for  Adam  and  Eve  to  work.  God  told  Adam 
that  he  might  name  the  animals,  and  that  part  of  his  work 
was  to  take  care  of  them ;  he  was  to  be  their  master.  I 
believe  that  he  liked  that  very  much,  don't  you  ?    I  imagine 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  9 

that  Adam  and  Eve  must  have  been  very  busy  the  first  days 
after  God  told  them  what  he  wanted  them  to  do.  Perhaps 
he  helped  the  sheep  to  find  the  best  places  to  drink.  I  am 
sure  he  tried  to  make  friends  with  many  of  them.  Eve  must 
have  been  very  busy  gathering  the  fruits  and  berries  for 
herself  and  Adam  to  eat ;  that  probably  was  her  part  of  the 
work.  They  were  busy  and  happy  those  first  days,  working 
as  long  as  the  light  lasted,  and  then,  when  night  came,  they 
were  tired  and  went  to  sleep. 

So,  when  we  come  to  think,  really  and  truly  think,  I 
mean,  when  we  put  our  thinking  caps  on,  we  know  that 
LIGHT  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  of  all  the  gifts  that 
God  has  put  into  the  world.  What  would  we,  you  and  I,  do 
without  it?  Close  your  eyes  just  a  minute,  and  think  how 
we  should  miss  it ! 

If  you  live  in  a  great  big  city,  you  wake  up  when  it  is 
morning  and  the  light  comes — sometimes  quite  early,  and 
soon  the  great  whistles  begin  to  blow  from  the  factories, 
telling  the  people  to  come.  They  seem  to  say :  "  Hurry ! 
Hurry !  Light  has  come !  Light  has  come !  Get  your 
lunches !  Get  your  hats !  Get  your  coats !  It  is  time  to 
work !  "  Then  eyes  are  fastened  on  the  work,  and  fingers 
fly !  Wonderful  things  are  made.  Let  us  name  some  of  the 
things  that  are  made  because  God  gave  us  light  and  eyes 
to  see  how  to  use  our  fingers.     (Let  the  children  enumerate.) 

In  the  old  days  when  God  placed  Adai.i  and  Eve  in  the 
garden,  they  stopped  work  when  the  light  faded  from  the 
sky  and  darkness  came.  But  after  a  while,  I  don't  know 
just  when,  except  that  it  was  when  more  people  were  living, 
they  began  to  like  work  so  much  that  they  did  not  want 
to  stop  when  the  light  was  gone.  God  gave  Adam  and  Eve, 
and  he  has  also  given  us  all,  minds  to  find  out  new  ways  of 
doing  things;  so  by  and  by  people  learned  how  to  make 
the  nighttime  brighter,  by  means  of  lights  that  they  made. 
The  first  lights  that  people  made,  long,  long  ago,  were 
torches.  (Explain.)  You  boys  and  girls  who  have  gone  to 
day  school  have  heard  how  the  Indians  could  make  a  light 
by  rubbing  two  sticks  together.  You  know,  too,  there  was 
a  time  when  people  made  their  houses  brighter  by  lighting 
candles.  With  what  do  you  light  your  home?  (Lamps,  gas, 
electricity.)     Why,  just  a  tiny  match  is  a  stored-up  light! 


10  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

After  these  many  years,  we  love  the  light  and  want  to 
use  it  as  God  intended  his  children  to  use  it :  to  see  beautiful 
things,  and  to  help  to  do  our  share  of  the  work  in  God's 
world. 

How  Hilde;garde  Made  Use:  of  Her  Day 

This  story  is  to  be  found  in  "  The  Story-Teller,"  by  Maud 
Lindsay.  Lay  stress  particularly  upon  the  little  p^irl's  well- 
spent  day  of  unselfish  work  for  her  father  and  mother;  all 
her  day  was  spent  in  service  and  with  its  close  came  the 
vision  of  the  good  knights  who  were  also  glad  to  help. 

Prayer 

Dear  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  all  thy  good 
gifts.  Especially  do  we  thank  thee  for  the  gift  of  light.  We 
had  not  thought,  before,  how  wonderful  this  first  gift  was ; 
but  now  that  we  know,  we  will  remember.  Help  us  to  use 
this  great  gift  in  right  ways.  Help  us  to  see  good  and  beau- 
tiful things ;  help  us  to  do  our  share  of  work  in  the  world. 
For  Jesus'  sake.    Amen. 

Expressionai,  Activity 

Write  upon  the  blackboard  the  verses  given  for  the 
memory  work,  and  also  those  given  under  the  heading  of 
Chapter  II,  and  have  the  older  children  read  them. 

Teach  and  sing  the  song  given  with  Chapter  L 

An  Illustration  to  Show  the  Power  oe  Light 

Take  a  small  pane  of  glass,  and  a  piece  of  blue-print 
paper  of  the  same  size.  Arrange  several  leaves  or  simple 
flowers  upon  the  paper,  and  cover  over  with  the  glass.  Ex- 
pose to  the  sunlight,  and  make  a  blue-print  picture.  Let 
the  children  see  this  process.  Children  might  be  given  the 
blue  prints  to  put  in  their  notebooks  as  illustrations  of  pic- 
tures made  by  the  sunlight. 


CHAPTER  II 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 
THE  GIFT  OF  WATER 
Exodus  15:22,  27;  17:1-7 

Me:mory  Viirse; 

"  Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above, 
coming  down  from  the  Father." — James  1 :17a. 

The:  Tkachkr's  Preparation 

"  Am  I  incHned  to  work  as  an  Australian  miner  would  ? 
Are  my  pickaxes  and  shovels  in  good  order,  and  am  I  in 
good  trim  myself — and  my  sleeves  well  up  to  the  elbows, 
and  my  breath  good,  and  my  temper  ?  "  These  are  the  ques- 
tions which  John  Ruskin  says  that  a  reader  should  ask  him- 
self when  he  takes  up  a  good  book.  The  distinguished 
thinker  and  critic  then  tells  how  necessary  it  is  to  know  how 
really  to  gather  the  good  metal  which  is  in  the  book,  the 
intense  meaning,  and  how,  after  such  sharp,  fine,  patient 
delving,  the  reader  becomes  thoroughly  possessed  of  the 
contents  of  the  book  so  that  it  puts  a  mark  of  superiority 
and  differentiation  upon  him. 

It  occurred  to  me  as  I  read  the  essay  that  the  questions 
should  be  of  preeminent  importance  to  the  reader  who  is 
gathering  material  from  the  Book  of  books  to  teach  little 
children  who  cannot  thus  delve  for  themselves,  yet  who  are 
even  at  this  stage  of  their  existence  forming  ethical  and 
mental  habits  of  lasting  endurance.  If  w^e,  through  our 
proper  instruction  and  guidance  during  the  habit-forming 
periods  help  them  to  obtain  the  ability  thus  to  delve  for 
themselves,  our  labor  will  be  worth  all  the  patience  and  pains 
it  may  cost  us,  for  how  can  we  tell  what  part  our  endeavor 
will  play  in  the  resulting  character  ? 

The  ability  to  tell  this  story  well  requires  a  large  back- 
ground of  historical   fact,  and  a  mind   full  enough  to  be 

11 


12  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

capable  of  picturing  the  account  in  all  its  detail.  The  few 
verses  indicated  emphasize  the  phase  of  the  story  which 
bears  upon  the  theme,  "  The  Heavenly  Father's  Good  Gifts 
to  His  Children  " ;  but  the  teacher  must  have  a  fresh  know- 
ledge of  all  the  chapters  of  Exodus  preceding  chapter  15, 
and  also  a  mental  picture  of  the  geography  of  the  places 
mentioned,  lu  idea  of  the  physical  geography,  and  what  the 
absence  of  water  means  to  any  land. 

An  outline  of  the  facts  immediately  connected  with  the 
story  is  as  follows:  It  was  about  1320  B.C.  and  God's  chosen 
people,  the  Israelites,  were  in  a  state  of  slavery  in  Egypt. 
Over  four  hundred  years  had  passed  since  the  migration  of 
Jacob  and  his  family  from  Palestine.  The  hardships  and 
insults  which  they  had  had  to  endure  under  the  rule  of 
Pharaoh  were  breaking  their  spirits.  However,  although 
they  had  suffered  much,  they  had  also  imbibed  much  of 
culture  and  learning  from  the  most  highly  civilized  country 
in  the  then  known  world. 

God  had  promised  them,  through  Abraham,  a  beautiful 
homeland,  but  they  were  to  be  made  more  ready  for  it  by 
their  lives  in  this  hard  school.  The  pictures  on  the  monu- 
ments of  Egypt  show  some  of  these  hardships  in  graphic 
manner :  the  burden  bearers  overladen  with  bricks,  the  task- 
masters wielding  their  whips,  the  workers  on  the  pyramids 
and  treasure  houses,  the  straw  gatherers,  and  so  forth. 

Then  was  born  Moses,  the  man  who  was  consecrated  to 
lead  his  people  from  their  condition  of  bondage  through  the 
tedious  way  that  would  at  last  bring  them  to  their  longed-for 
Promised  Land.  Keep  in  mind,  as  you  prepare  your  story 
for  the  children,  the  beautiful  account  of  the  childhood  of 
Moses,  and  the  marvelous  manner  in  which  he  was  led  to 
decide  to  relinquish  the  life  of  a  prince  in  order  to  carry  out 
God's  plan  for  him.  Refer  with  broad  touches  to  the  period 
of  the  plagues,  and  picture  that  last  mysterious  night  when 
the  start  was  made.  This  story  should  not  be  too  greatly 
chopped  up,  but  very  many  of  these  wonderful  things  should 
be  included,  thus  making  an  account  to  which  any  real, 
flesh-and-blood  boy  or  girl  will  listen,  which  he  will  follow 
to  the  very  conclusion.  But  remember  that  the  part  of 
your  story  to  emphasize  at  this  recital  will  be  the  great 
goodness  of  God  our  heavenly  Father  in  giving  the  gift  of 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  13 

water  to  these  people  who  otherwise  would  have  died  of 
thirst. 

The  Story 

A  long,  long  time  ago  there  lived  some  little  children  with 
their  fathers  and  mothers  in  a  far-away  country  called 
Egypt.  Now  Egypt  should  have  been  a  pleasant  place  in 
which  to  live,  because  within  it  were  many  beautiful  palaces 
and  fine,  big  storehouses  filled  with  treasures ;  there  were 
granaries  filled  with  golden  grain ;  there  were  vegetables 
and  fruits  in  the  gardens ;  there  were  lovely  flowers,  even 
lilies  floating  on  the  waters.  But  these  little  boys  and  girls 
and  their  fathers  and  mothers  were  not  happy  at  all.  You 
will  wonder  why  till  I  tell  you  that  they  were  slaves,  cruelly 
treated  slaves.  The  big  buildings  and  the  palaces  had  been 
built  by  their  fathers ;  yes,  they  even  had  made  the  bricks  of 
which  the  great  buildings  were  made. 

The  fathers  were  willing  to  work,  for  they  were  not  lazy, 
but  they  had  been  given  such  heavy  tasks  that  they  never 
could  finish.  Cross  overseers  carrying  whips  watched  while 
they  staggered  under  loads  which  bent  their  backs.  They 
were  made  to  work  for  so  many  hours  that  their  strength 
was  almost  gone.  They  were  ordered  to  make  the  bricks 
with  no  straw,  which  it  is  almost  impossible  to  do.  All 
these  things  and  many,  many  more  were  commanded  by  the 
cruel  king  of  Egypt  who  was  called  Pharaoh. 

No  wonder  the  faces  of  the  fathers  were  often  stern  and 
sad  and  sometimes  wrinkled  with  care ;  no  wonder  the 
mother's  eyes  were  often  filled  with  tears,  and  sometimes 
they  were  saddest  when  they  rocked  to  sleep  the  tiny  baby 
brothers.  For  they  thought:  "  I  wonder,  I  wonder,  if  little 
baby  brother  will  have  to  toil  and  work  when  he  grows  up ! 
I  wonder,  I  w^onder  if  we  still  will  be  here  in  Pharaoh's 
land !  " 

But  after  a  time  the  day  came  when  the  fathers  and  the 
mothers  had  a  happy  secret  in  their  hearts ;  a  great,  great 
hope  began  to  creep  into  their  lives.  God,  their  heavenly 
Father,  had  sent  a  good  man  named  Moses  to  help  them. 
Many,  many  years  before,  God  had  promised  to  give  them  a 
happy  homeland  of  their  own  in  which  to  live.  God  keeps 
his  promises,  and  he  kept  his  promise  to  these  people.     He 


14  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

sent  Moses  and  his  brother  before  the  king  and  bade  Moses 
tell  the  king  to  let  his  people  go.  But  the  king  did  not  want 
to  do  that.  "  How  will  my  buildings  be  made  ?  "  he  asked 
himself.  *'  Who  will  make  the  bricks  and  carry  them  ?  Who 
will  bring  me  my  food  when  I  am  hungry  ?  Who  will  bring 
me  drink  when  I  am  thirsty  ?  "  And  he  answered,  "  No !  I 
will  not  let  the  Israelites  go !  "  This  was  a  wicked  answer 
to  make  when  God  had  sent  Moses  with  the  message,  and 
God  punished  the  king  by  taking  away  his  drinking  water. 
God  told  Moses  to  stretch  out  the  rod  which  he  carried,  over 
the  river,  and  all  the  water  turned  to  blood ;  all  the  other 
streams  were  also  turned  to  blood,  and  there  was  not  a  drop 
to  drink.    Even  the  fishes  died. 

You  would  think  that  this  would  have  been  enough  to 
teach  the  wicked  king,  but  it  was  not.  Nine  times  he  said 
"  No !  "  and  nine  times  he  and  his  people  were  punished. 
But  the  tenth  time  the  king  learned  that  God  is  mightier  than 
all  kings,  and  he  said :  "  Go !  Get  thee  out  of  this  land  1 " 

Then  what  a  hurried  time  the  poor  people  had  to  pack! 
All  lent  a  willing  hand.  Why  I  know  that  every  little 
brother  and  sister  was  glad  to  run  on  errands,  and  the 
bigger  boys  and  girls  helped  mother  and  father  to  roll  up 
the  rugs  and  pack  up  the  plates  and  water  jars  and  basins 
and  the  things  that  they  should  need  on  their  long  journey. 
The  last  supper  in  the  old  land  was  prepared  far  on  into  the 
nighttime,  and  they  stood  as  they  ate,  for  they  were  in  such 
a  hurry  to  get  started;  but  you  may  be  sure  that  they  did 
not  forget  to  think  of  God  who  had  given  them  this  great 
chance  to  get  away  from  Pharaoh,  and  they  thanked  and 
praised  him  before  they  touched  a  mouthful. 

Moses  started  the  procession  and  God  was  so  good  to 
them  that  he  led  them  in  the  right  way  by  a  cloud.  It  was 
dark  in  the  daytime ;  but  at  night  it  was  silvery  bright.  The 
clouds  moved  ahead,  and  when  God  wanted  his  people  to 
stop  traveling,  the  cloud  stood  still. 

It  seemed  too  good  to  be  true  that  they  really  were  off! 
They  traveled  along  till  they  came  to  a  great,  big  sea,  and 
there  the  cloud  halted.  But  what  a  fright  they  had  that 
night !  Some  one  heard  a  far-off  noise  after  the  tents  were 
pitched  and  all  was  ready  for  the  night.  The  noise  grew 
louder  and  louder  and  then  some  one  cried :  "  It  is  Pharaoh 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  15 

and  his  soldiers  and  chariots !  They  are  coming  after  us !  " 
What  should  they  do  ?    Closer  and  closer  came  the  horses ! 

God  then  told  Moses  to  stretch  his  rod  over  the  waters ; 
they  parted  and  a  path  was  formed.  The  cloud  moved  and 
the  people  marched  forward.  But  Pharaoh  followed  at  the 
top  of  his  speed !  He  wanted  his  slaves  back  to  do  his  work 
again.  He  would  catch  them  and  drive  them  back.  But 
when  God's  people  reached  the  other  side,  Moses  was  told 
to  stretch  his  rod  over  the  sea  again.  He  did,  and  the  waters 
rolled  back.  Pharaoh  and  all  his  horses  and  horsemen  were 
drowned ! 

In  the  morning  the  people  began  their  journey  again  after 
they  had  thanked  God  for  their  wonderful,  wonderful 
escape. 

What  a  strange  land  this  was,  across  the  sea!  Dry  and 
sandy  and  hot,  and  hard  to  travel  in !  By  and  by  the  little 
ones  became  so  tired  they  had  to  be  carried.  Even  the  big- 
ger boys  and  girls  began  to  feel  heavy-footed  and  tired.  It 
was  hot,  so  hot  that  they  became  very  thirsty,  for  that  is 
what  happens  when  you  are  tired  and  hot,  you  know. 

By  and  by,  when  little  Joseph  and  Esther  and  Reuben 
asked  for  a  drink,  mother  said,  *'  There  is  not  a  drop  left  in 
the  bottle."  For  three  days  they  wandered  in  the  dry  and 
sandy  land  and  found  no  water. 

But  God  led  them  on,  and  after  a  while  some  one  cried, 
"  I  think  I  see  green  trees  beyond."  Then  all  strained  their 
eyes  to  look,  and  others  thought  they  saw.  Then  on  they 
traveled,  and  sure  enough  there  was  a  group  of  lovely 
palm  trees. 

"  Water !  Water !  "  cried  one  and  then  another  and  they 
pressed  forward. 

At  last  they  reached  the  grove,  and  found  twelve  wells 
of  water,  God's  gift  to  them  that  thirsty  day.  How  good 
the  sweet  drink  tasted  !  How  cool  it  made  them  feel !  They 
could  scarcely  wait  to  dip  it  out  of  the  deep,  cool  wells. 
And  how  the  little  children  and  the  mothers  and  the  fathers 
drank  and  drank  and  drank !  And  I  am  sure  that  after  they 
had  drunk  till  they  were  thirsty  no  longer,  they  sat  down 
under  the  trees  and  talked  about  how  good  God  had  been  to 
give  them  this  gift,  and  they  thanked  him. 

The  Israelites  stayed  in  their  tents  under  the  palm  trees 


16  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

till  the  cloud  began  to  move  and  then  they  traveled  on. 
After  awhile  they  came  to  another  dry  and  desert  place,  and 
again  they  became  thirsty,  and  again  they  found  no  water. 

It  seems  strange  that  they  grew  so  cross  about  it  when 
they  remembered  what  God  had  done,  but  they  did.  They 
scolded  and  scolded.  "  Why  did  you  bring  us  out  of 
Egypt  ?  "  they  complained  to  Moses. 

Moses  prayed  to  God :  "  What  shall  I  do  ?  The  people  are 
almost  ready  to  stone  me." 

Then  God  told  Moses  to  take  his  rod  and  go  to  a  certain 
rock  and  strike  it.  God  promised  that  water  should  flow 
out. 

Moses  did  as  God  commanded.  He  struck  the  rock  and 
out  gushed  a  stream  of  sweet,  clear  water,  enough  for  all  the 
people,  enough  even  for  all  the  cattle  and  even  the  littlest 
lamb. 

Again  God  gave  them  his  gift  of  water. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

A  GIFT  OF  WATER 
Psalms  104:10-14;  147:7-9;  Isaiah  41:18;  43:20b 

MEMORY  VERSH 

"  Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above, 
coming  down  from  the  Father." — James  1  :17a. 

The:  Teacher's  Preparation 

Review  the  story  of  the  thirsty  Israelites  given  drink 
in  the  desert  by  asking  leading  questions.  Get  the  story 
told  in  as  good  form  as  possible  by  the  children  themselves. 
The  children  like  this  story,  and  will  enjoy  reproducing  it. 
In  getting  it  back  again  the  teacher  can  tell  how  well  the 
children  have  understood  the  story  itself,  and  how  far  they 
appreciated  the  special  theme  "  God's  Gifts,"  which  she  has 
been  trying  to  impress.  She  is  also  given  opportunity  to  cor- 
rect any  glaring  misunderstandings  and  wrong  impressions. 
The  way  in  which  you  get  back  work  that  you  have  given 
is  often  a  great  surprise. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  17 

Through  this  lesson  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  chil- 
dren the  fact  that  God  is  also  their  loving,  heavenly  Father 
with  a  hand  always  open  with  gifts  for  their  benefit. 

Give  some  understanding  of  the  need  of  water  to  a  thirsty 
land.  Remember  that  the  only  thought  upon  the  subject 
which  some  children  have  is  that  water  comes  at  the  turn 
of  a  faucet  or  the  working  of  a  pump  handle.  Back  of  that 
they  have  never  gone.  It  will  be  interesting  to  lead  them  to 
inquire  what  absence  of  water  means  to  a  district :  not  only 
discomfort  to  man,  but  loss  of  all  vegetables,  fruits,  flowers, 
trees,  and  through  this  loss,  the  death  of  all  animals,  the 
absence  of  all  food,  and  death.  In  some  classes  you  may 
mention  the  great,  dry  lands  in  the  west  of  our  country,  and 
tell  what  irrigation  has  done. 

In  classes  of  younger  pupils  an  interesting  little  talk  may 
be  given  circling  about  a  bird's  basin,  or  in  country  districts 
a  talk  about  giving  the  very  necessary  drink  of  fresh,  cool 
water  to  baby  chicks.  You  may  adapt  the  story  of  "  The 
Daisy  "  by  Hans  Christian  Andersen  to  show  the  necessity 
of  water  to  life.  Another  story  which  can  be  used  is  that 
of  Sir  Philip  Sydney,  who,  as  he  lay  suffering  on  the  battle 
field,  shared  his  flagon  of  water  with  another  wounded 
soldier.  Make  the  story  emphasize  the  need  of  water  and 
show  that  God  prompted  the  sharing  of  the  gift. 

Preuminary  Talk 

Last  Sunday  I  told  you  a  story  about  how  some  thirsty 
people  were  given  a  drink  of  water  in  a  very  wonderful  way. 
They  were  going  on  a  journey.  Who  were  the  people? 
Where  were  they  going?  Why  had  they  left  their  homes? 
They  became  very  thirsty  on  the  journey.  Why  could  they 
not  get  water  ?  Can  you  imagine  such  a  thirsty  land  ?  No 
grass,  no  trees,  no  flowers,  no  fields  of  grain,  and  of  course 
no  cows  and  sheep  standing  in  the  meadows.  Hot,  dry  sand 
everywhere  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach !  But  at  last  the 
Israelites  all  got  a  drink  of  water.  Who  really  gave  them 
this  gift  that  they  needed  so  much?  How  did  God  give  it 
to  them  in  the  first  part  of  the  journey?  They  grew  thirsty 
again:  in  what  wonderful  way  did  God  again  give  them 
water  ? 

Did  you  ever  think,  when  you  take  a  drink  of  water,  that 


18  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

it  is  a  gift  of  God  to  you?    What  would  we  do  if  we  could 
not  get  a  drink  of  water  when  we  are  very,  very  thirsty? 

A  Story  to  Use:  with  This  Lesson 

A  dreadful  battle  had  been  fought,  and  many  poor 
wounded  soldiers  lay  pn  the  field.  One  of  these  soldiers 
was  very,  very  badly  hurt,  and  he  was  burning  with  fever. 
How  he  longed  for  a  drink  of  water !  He  felt  for  his  can- 
teen, as  the  bottle  in  which  soldiers  carry  their  water  is 
called;  his  hands  were  very  weak,  but  at  last  he  lifted  the 
bottle  to  his  lips.  It  was  empty,  not  a  drop  was  left !  He 
fell  backward  against  the  hard  ground  and  moaned: 
"  Water !  Water !  "  and  it  seemed  as  if  he  were  about  to  die 
of  thirst,  for  no  wounded  soldier  can  live  long  without  a 
drink  of  water. 

Not  far  away  was  another  soldier.  He,  too,  was  badly 
wounded.  He,  too,  was  thirsty,  but  he  had  a  httle,  just  a 
little  water  in  his  flask.  This  soldier  was  a  nobleman  in  his 
own  country,  a  man  who  lived  in  a  castle  with  servants  to 
wait  upon  him  and  he  was  rich  and  wise.  He  was  one  of 
the  people  to  whom  his  countrymen  paid  honor.  His  name 
was  Sir  Philip  Sydney. 

Although  he  was  suffering  great  pain,  he  heard  the  moan- 
ing of  the  other  soldier  as  he  called :  "  Water  !  Water  !  "  He 
knew,  too,  that  a  drink  of  water  was  the  greatest  need  and 
the  greatest  gift  that  could  be  given  to  the  man  who  was  so 
nearly  dead. 

He  felt  of  his  canteen.  It  had  only  had  a  little  water 
within  it.  He,  too,  was  thirsty,  so  thirsty,  and  he  did  not 
know  when  help  would  come.  Perhaps  it  would  not  be  till 
too  late.    Yet  this  other  man  was  dying. 

But  it  did  not  take  Sir  Philip  long  to  decide.  God 
put  a  great  willingness  in  his  heart.  He  turned  to  the  other 
soldier  and,  with  a  soft  voice  said :  "  Here,  drink !  Your 
need  is  greater  than  mine !  "  and  then  he  poured  the  gift 
down  the  parched  throat. 

Was  not  that  a  beautiful  and  wonderful  way  in  which  God 
sent  the  gift  of  water  to  a  dying  soldier? 

Let  me  read  some  verses  from  the  Bible  about  God's 
giving  his  gift  of  water.  Psalms  104 :10-14 ;  147 :7-9 ;  Isaiah 
41:18;  43  :20b. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  19 

Here  is  a  little  poem  that  a  poet  wrote  for  his  children 
to  make  them  think  what  a  wonderful  thing  is  water.  Can 
you  not  hear  it  splash  as  I  read?  (Read  the  entire  poem), 
"  How  Does  the  Water  Come  Down  at  Lodore  ?  "  by  Robert 
Southey,  if  this  is  available.    A  part  is  given  here : 

Rising  and   leaping, 
Sinking  and  creeping, 
Swelling  and  flinging. 
Showering  and  springing, 
Eddying  and  whisking, 
Spouting  and  frisking. 
Twining  and  twisting, 

Around  and  around. 
Collecting,  disjecting, 

With  endless  rebound; 
Smiting  and  fighting, 
A  sight  to  delight  in;  ^ 
Confounding,  astounding, 
Dizzying  and  deafening 

The  ear  with  its  sound. 

Praydr 

Dear,  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  this  wonderful 
gift  of  water.  We  know  how  it  feels  to  be  thirsty  only  a 
little  while,  and  we  always  are  so  glad  to  quench  our  thirst. 
We  begin  to  think  how  dreadful  it  would  be  not  to  be  able 
to  get  thy  gift  of  water  when  we  need  it.  We  thank  thee 
more  now  that  we  understand.    Amen. 

Sugge:ste;d  Activitie;s 

Read  the  Bible  passages  indicated.  Select  those  that  seem 
most  appropriate  for  a  reading  lesson  in  your  class ;  write 
them  on  the  blackboards  and  have  them  read. 

Let  the  children  copy  the  Memory  Verse  if  they  are  old 
enough. 

Make  a  poster  picture  of  an  old-fashioned  pump  or  bucket. 

Draw  a  simple  Primary  drawing  of  raindrops  falling  on 
the  ground. 


CHAPTER  III 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  GIFT  OF  DAILY  BREAD 
Exodus  16:4,  5,  13-18 
Memory  Ve^rsi^ 
"Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread." — Matthew  6:11. 

Thd  Tkachkr's  Preparation 

The  Bible  story  which  we  are  to  tell  to  the  children  to-day 
is  the  story  of  the  giving  of  the  manna  in  the  wilderness. 
It  was  one  month  after  the  passover  night,  a  month  filled 
with  remarkable  experiences  which  reminded  the  children  of 
Israel  again  and  again  of  God's  care  over  them.  They  had 
reached  the  borders  of  the  Wilderness  of  Sin.  This  wilder- 
ness was  as  dreary  a  place  as  its  name  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate, a  plain  almost  devoid  of  vegetation,  strewn  here  and 
there  with  forbidding-looking  bowlders. 

By  this  time  the  food  was  about  gone,  and  the  frightened 
people  felt  that  they  were  threatened  with  starvation.  They 
began  to  upbraid  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  loudly  expressed 
their  regrets  that  they  had  left  "  the  flesh-pots  "  of  Egypt. 
But  God  had  not  sent  his  children  upon  an  unprotected  quest. 
Food  came  in  a  miraculous  way:  through  a  flight  of  quails 
and  following  that  by  means  of  the  daily  sending  of  the 
manna. 

The  "  manna  "  was  "  a  small  round  thing "  resembling 
coriander  seed,  and  it  was  sweet  and  pleasant  to  the  taste. 
The  rules  for  gathering  were  very  positive,  and  God  gave 
them  to  test  his  children  in  obedience. 

It  is  said  that  great  flocks  of  quail  fly  up  from  the 
Arabian  Gulf  at  certain  times  when  they  migrate,  and  often 
they  are  so  tired  that  they  fly  very  low  and  so  slowly  that 
it  is  easy  to  catch  them. 

20 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  21 

Thi^  Story 
It  seemed  like  a  great,  happy  picnic  during  these  days 
when  Httle  Joseph  and  Reuben  and  Esther  and  all  the  other 
little  boys  and  girls  and  their  fathers  and  mothers  rested 
under  the  palm  trees  by  the  wells  where  they  had  found 
water  when  they  were  so  thirsty.  The  fathers  set  up  the 
tents  and  the  biggest  boys  helped ;  the  mothers  spread  the 
rugs  and  made  the  family  comfortable.  It  had  been  such 
a  pleasant  resting  place !  But  they  never  would  reach  the 
Promised  Land  by  sitting  under  the  palm  trees  for  ever  and 
ever,  so  by  and  by  they  packed  up  and  traveled  on. 

I  think  that  thev  must  have  taken  as  much  water  with 
them  as  they  could  carry  when  they  left  the  friendly  palm 
trees ;  and  there  was  plenty  of  food  to  eat.  And  I  suppose 
that  the  children  often  turned  back  to  the  mothers  when  they 
had  run  on  ahead,  and  asked  for  something  to  eat  when  they 
were  hungry.  But  the  biggest  picnic  lunch  will  not  last  so 
very,  very  long;  and  by  and  by  the  mothers  would  say, 
"Wait  a  little  longer,  dear,"  and  they  looked  very  sober  when 
they  spoke.  Then  after  a  while  the  food  was  gone!  The 
little  boys  and  girls  did  not  know  that  the  fathers  and 
mothers  had  been  going  without  more  and  more  in  order 
that  the  little  people  might  not  be  hungry ! 

Oh,  how  hungry  every  one  of  those  people  was  !^  But 
don't  you  think  they  might  have  remembered  the  drink  of 

water  and  who  had  given  it  to  them  ?    Don't  you  think  they 

might  have  remembered  ? 

They  did  not  seem  to,  however,  and  soon  they  began  to 

fret  and  worry  and  scold  at  Moses. 

"  Why  did  vou  bring  us  out  of  Egypt?  "  they  complained. 

"  We  might  better  have  stayed  there.     We  at  least  had  all 

the  bread  we  wanted  to  eat.  and  all  the  meat.     We  shall 

starve  to  death  in  this  place." 

When  the  little  children  cried  the  fathers  grew  angrier 

than  ever ;  they  even  threatened  to  kill  Moses. 

But  although  they  were  so  cross  and  forgetful,  God  did 

not  forsake  them.     He  said  to  Moses :  "  I  have  heard  the 

murmurings  of  the  children  of   Israel.     Tell  them  that  I 

have  not  forgotten  them.     They  shall  not  starve  to  death. 

At  evening  they  shall  have  flesh  to  eat,  and  in  the  mornmg 


22  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

they  shall  have  bread,  as  much  as  they  want.  You  shall 
know  that  I  am  the  Lord  your  God." 

Now  when  the  evening  came  some  one — perhaps  it  was 
one  of  the  little  boys,  for  they  always  are  on  the  watch  for 
new  sights — exclaimed:  "Look!  Look!  A  flight  of  birds!" 

When  the  birds  came  near  enough  the  people  saw  that 
they  were  quails.  They  had  flown  a  great  distance  from 
over  the  seas.  The  fathers  caught  them  and  the  mothers 
prepared  them  for  supper. 

I  think  that  Moses  reminded  the  people  that  it  was  the 
gift  of  food  that  God  had  promised  to  send,  and  they  were 
grateful  and  thanked  him. 

How  comfortable  and  well-fed  and  contented  all  the 
little  boys  and  girls  felt  that  night  as  they  went  to  sleep 
under  the  tents.  How  relieved  the  fathers  and  mothers 
were!  And  the  people  said  their  prayers  of  thanks  and 
went  to  sleep. 

A  great  surprise  waited  for  them  in  the  morning.  I  think 
the  first  person  who  saw  the  surprise  must  have  rubbed  his 
eyes  and  said  :  "  Am  I  dreaming  ?  Surely  this  is  a  dream !  " 
The  ground  was  covered  with  small,  round  things. 

"  Come,  look !  What  strange,  round  things  are  these  on 
the  ground?"  he  cried.  One  after  another  came  out  of  the 
tent  doors,  and  looked,  and  wondered. 

But  Moses  knew.  "  This  is  the  bread  which  the  Lord  has 
givfen  you,"  he  said.  "  Gather  just  as  much  as  you  want  to 
eat.  Everyone  in  every  tent  is  to  have  as  much  as  he 
needs — every  little  child,  all  the  grown  people,  mothers  and 
fathers  and  grandmothers  and  grandfathers — everyone." 

Then  they  began  to  pick  up  the  new  bread.  Some  one 
tasted  it.  "  It  is  good  !  It  is  sweet !  Taste  !  "  Everyone 
liked  it.    It  was  sweet,  like  cakes  made  with  honey. 

The  people  called  the  new  bread  "  Manna."  And  as  long 
as  the  journey  lasted — and  it  was  a  long,  long  journey — 
those  people  were  fed  by  God.  God  never  forgot  his  gift  of 
food,  not  once. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  23 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  GIFT  OF  DAILY  BREAD  TO  US 

Psalm  85  :12  ;  Leviticus  26  :4 ;  Mark  4 :28,  29 ;  Acts  14 :17 ; 
Isaiah  55:10 

MEMORY  VERSIv 

"Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread." — Matthew  6:11. 

The:  Te:ache:r's  Pre:paration 

Review  your  instructional  lesson,  the  story  of  the  feeding 
of  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness.  Introduce  your 
review  by  several  leading  questions,  worded  in  a  way  that 
will  immediately  awaken  interest  and  gain  attention.  With- 
out interest  and  attention  there  can  be  no  work  accomplished 
in  any  class  and  almost  everything  depends  upon  a  good  be- 
ginning. After  you  are  sure  of  your  class,  get  the  story  told 
by  letting  some  fluent  child  give  a  bit,  then  another  who 
volunteers.  Draw  a  portion  of  the  story  even  from  the 
more  retiring  and  timid  who  will  be  glad  to  add  their  sen- 
tence, though  perhaps  they  will  not  be  brave  enough  to  speak 
without  some  helpful  coaxing. 

After  the  completion  of  the  story,  make  a  transition  to 
the  thought  that  God  our  heavenly  Father  is  also  the  Giver 
of  our  daily  bread,  and  show  the  pupils  how  this  is  true. 
Many  of  the  children  never  have  thought  of  the  source  of 
food  beyond  the  family  pocketbook,  and  mother's  work  in 
preparing  the  good  things  that  father's  money  bought  at 
the  store.  It  will  be  a  great  step  to  lead  the  thought  to  the 
fields  of  grain  and  gardens  of  fruit  and  vegetables  that  are 
raised  by  the  farmer ;  then  to  show  the  dependence  of  even 
the  strong  farmer  upon  the  help  of  God. 

A  teacher  who  has  even  a  small  ability  to  use  the  chalk 
and  blackboard  will  have  a  great  advantage  with  this  lesson. 
Even  the  simplest  little  line  drawings  will  fascinate  your 
listeners.  Here  are  only  a  few  suggestions :  A  few  lines 
representing  a  wheat  field  with  raindrops  falling  upon  it;  a 
sketch  of  a  field  with  sun  rising ;  sprays  of  ripe  wheat  heads ; 
bags  or  barrels  of  flour;  loaves  of  bread;  bottles  of  milk; 
bowl  and  pitcher;  fruits;  jars  of  fruit. 


24  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

To  no  Primary  child  is  a  lesson  complete  without  a  story. 
A  splendid  means  of  making  a  transition  to  some  activity 
connected  with  this  lesson  will  be  to  tell  a  story  of  the 
famine  sufferers  in  China,  referring  to  America's  connection 
with  the  alleviation  of  the  suffering.  Refer  to  children's 
help  in  this  charity.  Liken  the  relief  given  to  the  sending 
of  food  to  the  Israelites  during  those  years  so  long  ago. 

The:  Story 

There  was  nothing  in  the  whole  wide  world  that  little 
Katie  Woo  loved  so  much  as  Little  Brother.  Such  a 
round,  little  roly-poly  as  he  was !  Such  bright,  little  black 
eyes !  His  face  was  so  cunning  when  it  was  all  puckered 
up  in  a  smile !  He  was  quite  a  heavy  baby,  but  Katie  never 
complained  when  mother  fastened  him  on  her  back  and  bade 
her  take  care  of  him.  That  is,  she  never  had  complained  in 
the  happy  days  when  the  bowls  were  always  filled  with  rice 
when  mealtime  came,  and  when  there  was  good  chicken 
meat,  and  the  sweets  that  mother  would  bring  out  from  the 
gay  little  jars  with  the  pictures  of  ladies  in  pretty  flower 
gardens,  pictures  of  bright  birds  and  wonderful  trees  painted 
upon  them. 

It  was  lots  more  fun  to  play  with  him  than  it  was  even 
to  hold  the  beautiful  doll  with  the  lovely  golden  curls  and 
American  clothes  that  Honorable  Teacher  in  the  mission 
school  had  brought  in  her  trunk  the  last  time  she  had  come 
back  from  her  visit  to  her  home  in  far-away  America. 

There  had  been  a  time  when  Katie  Woo's  father  and 
mother  would  not  let  her  go  to  the  school  of  the  "  devil 
woman  "  from  across  the  seas,  as  they  then  called  Hon- 
orable Teacher,  but  that  was  when  they  went  to  the  Chinese 
temple  and  bowed  down  to  the  red-and-gold  idol  with  pop- 
out  eyes  that  used  to  frighten  Katie  Woo  every  time  she  saw 
his  ugly  face.  But  now  they  are  learning  what  is  in  the  big 
Bible  which  now  occupies  the  place  where  a  little  idol  in 
their  own  home  once  stood.  That  idol  is  now  gone,  never 
to  return,  and  father  is  getting  to  read  the  Bible  better  every 
week. 

But  there  came  a  time  when  mother  had  very,  very  little 
rice  to  put  in  the  bowls,  then  hardly  any  at  all.  The  rice 
fields  must  have  plenty  of  water;  indeed  Katie  Woo  often 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  25 

had  carried  Little  Brother  out  to  the  field  not  far  from  her 
home  to  watch  the  men  gather  the  grain.  She  knew  how 
wet  the  fields  must  be.  And  now  they  were  dry,  so  dry  that 
the  rice  would  not  grow.  Rain  had  not  come  for  so  long 
that  the  whole  country  seemed  parched.     Nothing  would 

grow. 

Food  grew  less  and  less  in  every  home.  There  was  no 
grain  to  feed  the  chickens,  and  they  died;  that  meant  no 
more  of  the  good  dinners  which  mother  cooked  so  well. 

Still  no  rain  fell,  and  food  was  quite  gone  in  the  homes 
in  the  place  where  Katie  lived.  There  was  a  famine  in  the 
land.  . 

Honorable  Teacher  wrote  a  letter  all  about  it  to  her  home 
in  far-away  America.  *'  The  people  are  starving,"  she  said, 
and  she  told  how  thin  poor  Katie  Woo  and  Little  Brother  had 
grown.  "  The  poor  children  are  mere  skin  and  bones.  The 
little  girl  can  no  longer  carry  her  brother.  It  is  pitiful  to 
see  them.  Many  of  the  people  are  eating  the  leaves  and  the 
bark  of  trees  to  keep  alive.  Some  are  even  drinking  poison 
rather  than  starve.  Send  us  help!  Day  after  day  these 
people  pray  for  help  to  the  Man  of  the  Sky.  Be  partners 
with  God  and  send  them  the  gifts  of  food  that  he  wishes  you 
to  share." 

So  wrote  Honorable  Teacher  to  her  home  people  in 
America.  And  what  do  you  think  they  did,  even  the  littlest 
children  in  the  Sunday  school?  Don't  you  think  they  were 
glad  of  the  chance  to  be  partners  with  God  and  to  send  a 
gift  of  food? 

When  the  gift  boxes  came,  and  Honorable  Teacher  and 
her  helpers  opened  them,  the  people  could  hardly  wait  for  a 
taste.  Katie  Woo  and  Little  Brother  and  many,  many  others 
were  saved  from  a  horrible  death. 

"  It  made  me  think  of  the  manna  in  the  wilderness  that 
was  sent  to  the  children  of  Israel,"  Honorable  Teacher  wrote 
back.  "  God  surely  put  it  into  your  hearts  to  spare  so  gen- 
erously. China  is  being  fed !  And  rain  has  fallen  now,  so 
that  the  barren  fields  will  grow  again." 

Suggested  Activities 
The  Lord's  Prayer  repeated  understandingly. 
Contributions  taken  in  a  Chinese  cup  or  bowl  for  some 
needed  charity  at  home  or  abroad. 


26  PRIMARY   CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Write  upon  the  blackboard  and  have  read  or  copied  in  the 
classes  of  older  and  more  advanced  pupils  the  follow^ing 
verse  by  Maltbie  Babcock: 

Give  Us  This  Day  Our  Daily  Bread 

Back  of  the  loaf  is  the  snowy  flour, 

And  back  of  the  flour  the  mill; 
And  back  of  the  mill  is  the  wheat,  and  the  shower, 

And  the  sun,  and  the  Father's  will. 

A  Blackboard  Reading  Lesson :  Mark  4 :28. 


CHAPTER  IV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  RIGHT  USE  OF  GOD'S  GOOD  GIFTS 
(TEMPERANCE  LESSON) 

Numbers  11:4-35 

MEMORY  Vkrse: 

"  Whether  therefore  ye  eat,  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do, 
do  all  to  the  glory  of  God." — I  Cormthians  10:31. 

The:  Teachkr's  Preparation 

The  incident  which  forms  the  story  material  for  this 
lesson  took  place  after  the  giving  of  the  Ten  Command- 
ments at  Mount  Sinai,  as  the  Israelites  were  on  the  forward 
march  through  the  Wilderness.  They  had  chosen  God  as 
their  King,  and  had  promised  to  obey  the  Laws  which  he 
had  given  them.     He  was  their  divine  Protector. 

The  great  camp  moved  on  or  halted  according  to  the 
signal  given  by  God,  the  moving  or  resting  of  the  mys- 
terious cloud.  When  the  Levites  sounded  the  silver 
trumpets,  it  was  understood  that  the  cloud  had  rested,  and 
all  the  tents  were  to  be  pitched  in  an  encampment ;  when  the 
trumpets  sounded  again,  it  was  understood  that  the  cloud 
was  moving,  and  camp  was  broken  up. 

The  camp  was  formed  in  an  immense  square,  the  most 
sacred  possession  of  the  Israelites,  the  tabernacle,  in  its  own 
tent,  occupying  the  safest  place  in  the  center.  The  space 
necessary  for  the  accommodation  of  the  two  millions  of 
people  with  their  innumerable  flocks  and  herds  as  well  as 
the  treasures  and  wagons  and  baggage  which  they  had 
brought  with  them,  must  have  been  enormous. 

The  way  was  exceedingly  difficult:  hard  walking  for  the 
feet;  dreary  stretches  of  monotonous  landscape;  a  lack  of 
vegetation;' uncomfortable  heat.  But  God  had  given  them 
water,  and  he  had  fed  them. 

27 


28  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

However,  though  the  food  was  good  and  sweet,  as  cakes 
made  with  honey,  and  there  was  a  never-failing  abundance, 
the  IsraeHtes  became  tired  of  it  and  dissatisfied.  Again 
they  began  to  murmur  and  to  complain,  anc  to  compare  their 
fare  with  that  which  they  had  had  in  Egypt,  the  cucumbers, 
the  melons,  the  leeks,  the  onions,  and  the  garhc. 

Moses  was  a  patient  man,  but  their  importunity  became 
so  disturbing  that  even  his  endurance  broke,  and  he  cried  to 
God,  **  I  am  not  able  to  bear  all  this  people  alone,  because 
it  is  too  heavy  for  me." 

Then  God  gave  Moses  the  instructions  for  selecting  the 
help  which  he  needed.  He  also  promised  the  people  the 
meat  that  their  appetites  so  craved.  But  unrestrained  appe- 
tite brought  its  own  punishment  to  the  people :  they  gorged 
themselves  with  the  unaccusomed  food  which  was  sent  in 
the  form  of  another  flock  of  quails.  They  gathered  the 
quails  which  had  come  in  countless  numbers,  and  ate  raven- 
ously. Illness,  a  form  of  the  plague,  quickly  followed,  and 
many,  many  of  the  people  were  left  behind  in  the  wilderness. 

Make  a  connection  with  the  two  preceding  lessons  by  ask- 
ing several  simple  Review  questions  such  as  the  following: 
God  was  very  good  to  his  children  when  he  made  this  earth 
their  home.  What  was  one  of  the  gifts  he  gave  them? 
Another?  Another?  (Light,  water,  food.)  How  did  he 
give  drink  to  the  Israelites  when  they  were  thirsty?  How 
did  he  give  them  food  ?  Does  he  give  food  and  drink  to  you 
and  to  me?  Do  we  ask  him  to  give  us  food?  ("Give  us 
this  day  our  daily  bread.")  Is  he  glad  to  give  us  these  good 
gifts?  Ask  other  similar  questions  to  bring  about  a  recep- 
tive state  of  mind. 

Introduction 

If  God  gave  us  these  good  things,  he  has  a  right  to  expect 
that  his  children,  all  his  children,  those  who  lived  long  ago, 
and  those  who  are  living  now,  will  use  his  gifts  in  right 
ways,  has  he  not?  If  father  or  mother  gives  you  a  nice 
thing,  it  is  little  enough  to  expect  you  to  take  care  of  it  and 
use  it  in  the  right  way,  is  it  not?  It  would  be  a  strange 
child  who  would  treat  a  good  gift  in  a  wrong  way.  Such  a 
child  would  deserve  punishment ;  he  would  deserve  to  suffer, 
would  he  not?    Yes,  and  God  expects  us  to  treat  his  good 


PRniARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  29 

gifts  in  right  ways.     He  wants  us  to  have  the  good  things, 
but  he  does  not  want  us  to  use  them  in  wrong  ways. 

But  it  is  possible  to  do  wrong  things  with  God's  good, 
generous  gifts,  and  I  am  going  to  tell  you  a  story  about 
how  foolish  the  children  of  Israel  were  at  one  time,  and 
how  they  brought  punishment  and  suffering  upon  them- 
selves.   You  will  see  how  it  was  all  quite  their  own  fault. 

The:  Story 

Little  Joseph's  mother  knew  how  to  make  the  nicest  kind 
of  cakes ;  they  were  round  and  as  sweet  as  honey.  It  seemed 
as  if  he  and  his  little  sisters  Esther  and  Sarah  would  never 
grow  tired  of  them.  Father  liked  them,  too;  and  so  did 
grandmother  and  grandfather.  In  the  morning  mother 
would  step  to  the  low  rug  beds  where  they  were  sleeping 


and  would  call :  "  Come  children,  the  sun  is  up,  and  it  is  time 
for  you  to  help  to  gather  the  manna.  Do  not  wait  till  the 
heat  spoils  it.  Here  are  the  baskets.  Gather  it  and  bring  it 
to  me  early.    I  will  bake  you  some  of  the  cakes  you  like." 

The  children  would  bounce  up  from  bed  and  hurry  out  of 
the  tent  door.  When  they  came  back  they  would  have 
plenty.  Mother  would  be  sitting  by  the  mill  with  grand- 
mother waiting  to  grind  it  into  flour.  The  mill  looked  some- 
thing like  the  cut.  There  was  one  big,  round,  flat  stone 
with  two  handles ;  this  was  set  upon  another  like  this. 
(Draw.)  Mother  put  some  of  the  manna  between  the 
stones,  then  she  and  grandmother  each  took  hold  of  a 
handle  and  ground,  ground,  ground  till  the  manna  was 
crushed  into  fine  white  flour.     Then  she  did  something  else 


30  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

to  it,  Joseph  didn't  know  just  what ;  then  she  put  it  into  the 
oven,  and,  oh,  what  beautiful  cakes  were  ready  for  dinner! 

The  family  thought  they  never  would  grow  tired  of  these 
cakes,  and  they  were  so  thankful  for  the  good  gift  tlxit  God 
had  sent  them.  But  after  a  while  they  really  did  grow 
tired.  Joseph  would  say  when  mother  called  him  to  din- 
ner, "  I  don't  want  any  cakes  to-day."  And  Esther  would 
say,  "  O  mother,  I  am  so  tired  of  the  manna  cakes."  And 
even  little  Sarah  would  turn  away  and  cry. 

Then,  strange  to  say,  even  father  and  grandfather  would 
exclaim  :  "  Those  cakes  again !  Oh,  for  a  bit  of  meat !  Do 
you  remember  the  meat  we  had  in  Egypt,  and  those  leeks 
and  onions  and  garlic  ?  " 

And  grandmother  would  look  up  from  the  mill  and  say  to 
mother,  *'  Daughter,  daughter,  do  you  remember  the  sweet, 
juicy  melons  that  grew  in  our  garden  in  Egypt?  " 

Talk  like  that  was  going  on  in  every  tent  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  by  and  by  because  they  kept  thinking  so  much 
about  their  troubles,  the  troubles  seemed  to  grow  bigger  and 
bigger,  which  is  always  the  way  troubles  behave,  you  know. 
The  people  became  so  sorry  for  themselves ;  then  they  be- 
gan to  scold  and  complain  about  Moses. 

"  Oh,  how  we  wish  we  had  stayed  in  Egypt !  We  are 
tired  of  this  manna !  Manna  baked  and  manna  boiled  and 
manna  raw !  Manna !  Oh,  for  a  taste  of  meat  or  anything 
but  manna !  "  Then  those  men  and  women  and  children  sat 
in  the  tent  doors  and  cried,  cried  out  loud  till  Moses,  their 
patient  friend,  could  no  longer  stand  the  din. 

"  I  can  bear  this  people  no  longer  alone,  help  me,"  he 
prayed  to  God. 

God  had  been  patient  and  good  to  these  people  whom  he 
had  helped  to  get  away  from  the  cruel  king  in  Egypt.  He 
had  fed  them  when  they  were  hungry,  and  given  them  sweet 
water  when  they  were  thirsty.  He  was  grieved  because  they 
were  so  impatient,  forgetful,  and  ungrateful.  He  said  to 
Moses :  "  I  will  give  them  meat.  Tell  them  that  they  shall 
not  eat  one  day,  nor  two  days,  nor  five  days,  neither  ten 
days,  nor  twenty  days ;  but  a  whole  month.  They  shall  have 
it  to  eat  till  it  comes  out  at  their  nostrils,  and  it  becomes 
sickening  to  them.  They  have  been  ungrateful  and  have 
asked,  '  Why  came  we  forth  out  of  Egypt  ?  '  " 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  31 

Very  soon  after  this  message  was  given  to  the  people  a 
strong  wind  arose  from  the  sea,  and  blew  a  great  flight  of 
quails  to  the  camp.  They  flew  so  slowly,  and  some  were  so 
tired  that  they  fell  down  on  the  ground.  There  were  quails 
all  about  the  tents. 

All  day  and  all  night  and  all  the  next  day  the  people  gath- 
ered the  birds.  They  gathered  and  ate,  they  stuffed  the 
meat  which  they  had  longed  to  have.  They  ate  and  ate  and 
ate.    They  gorged  themselves. 

But  before  they  had  finished  eating  the  meat,  many  of 
them  were  taken  ill.  Little  children  and  grandfathers  and 
grandmothers,  even  the  strongest  of  the  people  became  ill; 
there  was  not  a  tent  in  all  the  camp  where  there  was  not 
suffering.  They  had  eaten  entirely  too  much  of  the  good 
food  that  God  had  given  them. 

And  when  the  cloud  began  to  move  and  the  silver  trumpets 
sounded,  I  am  sure  those  people  thought,  as  they  looked 
back  at  the  place  where  they  had  behaved  so  foolishly: 
"  Hereafter  we  will  try  to  use  God's  good  gifts  as  he  in- 
tended us  to  use  them." 

Suggested  Activities 

Have  the  children  draw  an  Oriental  mill  from  your  black- 
board copy.    Copy  this  prayer  verse: 

*'  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread." 

Write  the  names  of  two  "  good  things  "  to  drink  that  will 
not  hurt  boys  and  girls. 

Write  the  names  of  five  "  good  things  "  to  eat  that  will 
not  hurt  boys  and  girls. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  RIGHT  USE  OF  GOD'S  GOOD  GIFTS 
(TEMPERANCE) 

Psalm  145:15,  16 

Memory  Verse 

"  Whether  therefore  ye  eat,  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do, 
do  all  to  the  glory  of  God." — I  Corinthians  10:31. 


32  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

The:  Te:aciii:r's  Preparation 

Through  this  lesson  make  a  practical  application  of  the 
thought  you  gave  in  your  story  of  the  imprudent  and  undis- 
ciplined use  of  God's  gift  of  the  quails  in  the  Wilderness  to 
satisfy  the  cravings  of  the  Israelites  for  meat.  The  appli- 
cation can  be  made  very  clear  to  the  little  Primary  child, 
and  is  a  real  temperance  lesson  to  him. 

Introduction 

Make  a  connection  of  thought  with  your  Biblical  story  in 
some  such  way  as  the  following:  When  God  gave  his  gifts 
of  food  to  the  Israelites  he  told  them  how  much  to  gather, 
and  how  to  use  it,  did  he  not  ?  But  one  time  they  grew  tired 
of  the  way  that  God  told  them  to  use  it :  they  wanted  some- 
thing different.  God  gave  them  their  own  way  for  a  little 
while.  Who  can  tell  what  they  wanted?  How  did  they  act 
about  it?  How  did  God  give  them  meat?  How  did  the 
people  act  when  they  got  a  chance  to  do  just  as  they  pleased? 
What  happened? 

It  isn't  always  good  to  do  just  as  you  please  about  such 
things,  especially  if  you  are  not  quite  wise  enough  to  know 
what  is  best  for  yourself.  For  instance,  there  are  so  many 
things  that  we  like  to  eat,  candy  and  the  preserves  of  which 
mother  lets  us  have  the  tiniest  bit,  and  ice  cream,  and  pie, 
and  rich  puddings  and,  oh,  a  host  of  other  things  that  both 
you  and  I  know  about.  Mother  says,  "  One  piece  is  enough, 
dear,"  or  father  says,  "  You  can  spend  only  a  part  of  your 
allowance  for  candy  and  treats,  son."  And  why?  Because 
too  much  of  such  food  will  surely  hurt  a  boy  or  girl. 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  boy  or  a  girl  in  the  time  of  Nowa- 
days who  acted  a  little  as  those  Israelites  in  the  Wilderness 
acted  ?    Here  is  a  story  about  one  little  girl  who  did. 

The  Story 

Natalie  helped  to  gather  the  strawberries  away  back  in 
the  springtime  when  she  was  visiting  at  grandfather's  farm. 
She  had  the  cutest  little  basket  with  a  handle,  and  each  time 
she  gathered  it  full,  grandmother  gave  her  ten  cents. 

The  air  was  sweet  with  the  fragrance  of  ripe  berries,  and 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOI^  LESSONS  33 

each  plant  was  full  of  the  beautiful,  red  fruit.  Natalie  sang 
as  she  picked,  and  the  robin  in  the  apple  tree  in  the  corner 
of  the  field  sang,  and  the  bees  hummed,  and  everything  was 
as  happy  as  a  bright  spring  day  could  make  it. 

Up  in  the  kitchen  mother  and  grandmother  were  hulling 
the  berries  and  preserving  them  with  sugar,  pound  for 
pound.  When  the  breeze  blew  in  a  certain  direction  Natalie 
could  smell  the  kettle  of  sweets.  How  she  liked  strawberry 
preserves ! 

When  mother  and  grandmother  finished  the  day's  work, 
there  were  rows  and  rows  of  little  glasses  of  the  delightful 
mixture — nicer  than  candy — Natalie  thought. 

That  was  way  back  in  springtime,  and  now  it  was  winter. 
Natalie  and  mother  and  baby  brother  and  father  were  back 
in  the  city,  and  a  jar  of  strawberry  preserves  was  on  the 
breakfast  table  to  eat  with  the  flapjacks  Nora  made  for 
breakfast.  Mother  was  dressing  little  brother  and  Natalie 
was  eating  breakfast  all  alone  after  father  had  gone  to  the 
office. 

"  Mother,  may  I  have  some  strawberry  preserves  to  put 
on  top  of  my  flapjacks  ?  "  called  Natalie. 

"  Why,  yes,  little  daughter,"  answered  mother  from  the 
nursery  as  she  pulled  on  little  brother's  stocking.  "  Don't 
take  too  much,  for  it  is  very  rich." 

Oh,  how  good  it  tasted !  Natalie  took  a  little,  then  she 
took  a  little  more. 

"  Mother,  I  want  another  plate  of  flapjacks.  May  I  have 
some  more  strawberry  jam  to  put  on  top  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  but  don't  take  too  much,  Natalie,"  and  mother 
put  on  another  stocking. 

Then  Natalie  spread  the  flapjacks  and  ate  them.  How 
good  they  tasted ! 

"  Mother,  may  I  have  just  a  little  more  strawberry  jam 
in  a  plate  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  Natalie,  but  don't  take  very  much,  dear ;  it  is 
very  rich,"  and  mother  buttoned  a  shoe. 

Natalie  took  a  large  spoonful  upon  a  saucer.  Then, 
although  that  little  voice  called  conscience,  kept  whispering, 
**  Enough,  enough  !  "    Natalie  whispered  back,  **  Keep  still !  " 

She  ate  spoonful  after  spoonful.  By  the  time  mother  had 
buttoned  little  brother's  other  shoe,  the  last  spoonful  but  one 


34  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

in  the  jar  was  gone,  and  Natalie  simply  could  not  eat  another 
mouthful. 

But  it  was  not  a  half  hour  later  that  mother  passed 
through  the  library,  and  a  little  girl  lay  huddled  on  the 
couch,  such  a  white-faced  little  girl ! 

"  O  mother,  the  strawberry  jam !  I  ate  and  ate  and  ate ! 
I  hate  strawberry  jam !  Oh !  "  and  Natalie  doubled  up  in 
pain. 

"Poor  little  daughter!"  and  mother  said  no  more  then, 
but  hurried  to  the  medicine  chest. 

Natalie  spent  that  day  and  the  next  in  bed,  and  although 
that  was  a  long,  long  time  ago,  she  has  never  been  able  to 
eat  a  spoonful  of  strawberry  jam  since. 

Suggested  Activities 

Arrange  a  reading  lesson  from  the  Bible  verses  suggested 
for  the  lesson  material.  Perhaps  in  some  classes  all  that 
you  can  do  will  be  to  write  the  last  clause  of  Psalm  104 :28 
("Thou  openest  thy  hand,  they  are  satisfied  with  good") 
and  read  it  to  the  pupils  slowly  and  impressively,  explain- 
ing that  they  are  words  from  God's  Book,  and  that  the 
words  are  one  way  of  saying  that  all  our  good  gifts  are 
given  to  us  by  God,  and  that  God  is  always  ready  and  glad 
to  give  food  to  his  children. 

Write  upon  the  blackboard  and  teach  the  following  Prayer 
Verse : 

"  Father  of  all  in  heaven  above, 
We  thank  thee  for  thy  love. 
Our  food,  our  homes,  and  all  we  wear. 
Tell  of  thy  loving  care."    Amen. 

A  Bible  verse  to  copy :  "  He  careth  for  you." 
Write  the  Memory  Verse  upon  the  blackboard  and  read 
it,  or  if  the  children  are  able,  get  them  to  read  it.    Ask  for 
explanations  of  the  meaning,  now  that  they  have  heard  your 
two  lessons  on  temperance  in  eating. 


GOD'S  CARE  CALLING  FORTH  LOVE  AND 
THANKS 


CHAPTER  V 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  NOAH  AND  THE  ARK 

Genesis  6:8  to  8:19 

Mi:mory  Vkrsiv 

"  Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
Whereof  we  are  glad." 

—Psalm  126 :3. 

The:  Te:ache:r's  Privparation 

Studying  the  story  of  "  in  the  beginning,"  down  to  the 
time  of  Noah,  we  see  clearly  that  man's  Hfe  after  his  ex- 
pulsion from  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  a  steady  downward 
course :  he  had  not  in  any  measure  kept  to  the  ideal  which 
God  had  set  for  him.  We  read  that  there  were  giants  on 
the  earth  in  those  days ;  this  seems  to  infer  that  a  race  re- 
nowned for  physical  greatness  had  arisen,  that  strength  was 
considered  above  all  else,  and  that  this  strength  was  directed 
toward  evil  rather  than  toward  good.  Some  scholars  think 
that  this  phrase  may  possibly  have  been  a  figurative  speech 
and  have  referred  to  mental  greatness.  In  either  case,  man's 
deportment  was  so  unsatisfactory  that  "  it  repented  Jehovah 
that  he  had  made  man  on  the  earth."  It  was  necessary  that 
a  new  beginning  be  made,  and  the  Creator  determined  to 
wash  away  that  which  had  become  so  ruined  by  sin. 

The  actual  time  of  the  deluge  cannot  be  determined; 
neither  is  the  exact  locality  known,  although  many  con- 
jectures have  been  made  by  the  students  of  antiquity.  Almost 
all  the  histories  of  the  ancient  nations  contain  references  to 
such  a  terrible  catastrophe,  and  the  stories  are  strangely 
like  the  Biblical  account  of  the  event.  However,  they  are 
interwoven  with  references  to  the  association  which  their 
own  gods  had  with  the  event. 

Many  students  think  that  the  Flood  reached  over  that  part 

37 


38  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

of  the  earth  which  was  then  inhabited  by  man,  in  Babylonia 
and  the  region  round  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris  Rivers,  and 
that  the  whole  earth  was  not  covered.  That  would  help  to 
explain  many  questions  that  naturally  arise:  for  example, 
how  could  animals  whose  habitations  were  by  nature  in  far 
removed  places  of  the  earth,  such  as  the  polar  bear,  have 
found  their  way  to  the  far  distant  ark?  Geikie  considers 
that  the  expression  "  earth  "  signified  all  the  ground  round 
about  which  was  inhabited,  and  was  figurative. 

The  fact  is,  however,  that  there  was  a  great  deluge  by 
which  all  life  was  destroyed  except  Noah  and  his  family  and 
the  animals  which  were  taken  by  him  into  the  ark. 

The  story  makes  a  strong  appeal  to  all  children,  awaken- 
ing immediate  attention  because  of  the  special  interest  of  the 
incidents;  its  lesson,  also,  is  self-evident. 

Introduction 

Can  you  close  your  eyes  and  imagine  you  hear  the  rain  on 
the  roof?  Do  you  like  to  stay  in  the  house  on  a  rainy  day? 
What  do  you  do  on  a  rainy  day  ?  Do  you  remember  a  time 
when  there  were  two  rainy  days,  one  right  after  another? 
Did  you  not  wish  that  you  could  see  the  sun?  I  am  going 
to  tell  you  a  story  about  a  rain  that  lasted  forty  days  and 
forty  nights. 

The:  Story 

A  long,  long  time  ago  there  lived  a  man  named  Noah. 
Noah  and  his  wife  had  three  boys  whose  names  were  Ham, 
Shem,  and  Japhet. 

Now,  in  some  ways  Noah's  home  was  a  happy  home,  be- 
cause he  and  his  wife  and  his  boys  were  good  people ;  every 
day  they  tried  to  live  just  as  they  knew  God  wanted  them  to 
live.    Obeying  God  helps  one  to  be  happy,  you  know. 

But  sometimes  it  took  a  great  deal  of  brrvery  to  do  this, 
and  I  will  tell  you  the  reason :  the  people  of  the  world  had 
grown  very  wicked  ;  every  day  they  broke  God's  laws  in  fear- 
ful ways ;  God  had  forgiven  their  sins  over  and  over  again, 
for  he  is  a  loving,  heavenly  Father.  But  above  all  else,  a 
loving  father  wishes  obedience  from  his  children.  The 
people  of  the  world  were  so  disobedient  that  God  was 
grieved  and  angry. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 


39 


It  was  often  very  hard  for  Ham  and  Shem  and  Japhet  to 
be  good  boys  when  the  other  Httle  boys  who  lived  round 
about  them  were  so  naughty.  It  is  quite  easy  to  be  good 
when  those  around  you  are  good,  you  know.  But  when 
people  laugh  when  a  boy  tries  to  do  what  he  knows  is  right 
then .    You  know  what  often  happens. 

I  suppose  they  would  sometimes  come  home  to  their 
mother  with  poor  little  sober  faces  and  tell  her  what  the 
other  boys  had  done  and  she  would  say :  "  Never  mind,  boys ; 
it  is  hard  I  know.  But  let  us  do  as  God  has  bidden.  See 
how  brave  father  is !  It  is  very  hard  for  father  to  keep  the 
laws  when  the  neighbors  are  all  doing  so  differently.  But 
father  is  brave.  Cannot  you  try  to  follow  his  example? 
And  Ham  and  Shem  and  Japhet  would  pron/.se  to  try  again, 

and  they  did.  ,         a  i  j 

But  ever  since  the  time  so  long  before  when  Adam  and 
Eve  were  driven  out  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  their  children 
and  grandchildren  and  the  people  that  lived  after  theni  had 
been  growing  more  and  more  wicked  and  disobedient.  C^od  s 
patience  was  sorely  tried  and  he  said,  "I  am  sorry  that  I 
have  made  man."  Noah  and  his  family  were  the  only 
family  who  obeyed  and  pleased  him.  ^ 

At  last  God  said :  "  I  will  make  a  new  beginning.  This 
sinful,  disobedient  people  shall  be  washed  off  the  face  of  the 
earth.  But  I  will  save  Noah  and  his  family.  I  will  take 
care  of  them." 

Then  God  told  Noah  what  would  happen :  There  would 
be  a  great  flood  of  waters.  God  said,  "  Build  an  ark,  and 
daub  it  with  pitch  to  make  it  water-tight."  And  he  told 
Noah  how  big  to  make  it ;  it  must  be  very,  very  large  for  it 
was  to  hold  a  great  and  heavy  load.  "  Make  a  window  at 
the  top  of  the  ark,"  God  told  Noah.  "  Make  a  door  at  the 
side  Build  the  ark  three  stories  high.  I  shall  cause  a 
flood  of  waters  to  come  upon  the  earth,  but  you  and  your 
family  shall  come  into  the  ark  and  I  shall  take  care  of  vou. 
Take  with  you  into  the  ark  two  of  every  living  animal,  birds, 
and  cattle,  and  creeping  things.  Gather  enough  food  for 
yourselves  and  all  the  creatures.  It  shall  ram  for  forty  days 
and  forty  nights,  and  every  living  thing  outside  the  ark  will 
be  drowned,  for  wickedness  must  be  washed  away  from  the 
face  of  the  earth." 


40  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

So  presently  Noah's  neighbors  began  to  notice  the  father 
and  sons  as  they  worked.  Great  piles  of  wood  were  gath- 
ered ;  kettles  of  pitch  were  brought.  They  measured  very 
carefully  just  as  God  had  told  them  to  measure. 

What  a  strange  shape  the  building  began  to  take!  The 
neighbors  began  to  wonder  what  Noah  and  his  sons  were 
going  to  make ! 

"  What  are  you  building  ?  "  they  asked. 

"  A  boat,"  answered  Noah. 

"A  boat!  Building  a  boat  in  the  midst  of  the  land? 
What  will  you  do  with  a  boat  as  big  as  that?  Where  will 
you  sail  it  ?  "  Then  I  suppose  Noah  told  the  people  about 
God's  message,  and  begged  them  to  turn  away  from  the  evil 
and  wickedness  of  their  lives. 

"  He  is  building  a  boat !  "  laughed  the  people.  "  He  says 
that  a  flood  is  coming,  a  flood  that  will  drown  all  the  people 
of  the  earth !  "  and  the  boys  and  girls  whispered  together  as 
they  listened  to  the  hammers  and  watched  the  old  man  whom 
they  thought  was  crazy. 

Probably  when  a  shower  would  come,  the  people  were 
frightened  for  a  little,  but  they  laughed  at  their  own  fears 
when  the  sun  came  out  again.  But  at  last,  after  a  great 
many,  many  years,  the  ark  was  finished. 

"  Come  into  the  ark,"  God  bade  Noah.  "  Come,  and  bring 
all  your  family."  So  Noah  and  his  wife  and  his  sons  and 
their  wives  entered.  All  the  animals  that  God  bade  him 
take  care  of  went  into  the  ark,  two  by  two,  the  birds,  and  the 
beasts,  and  the  creeping  things.    Then  God  shut  the  door. 

Then  it  began  to  rain.    How  it  poured ! 

"  Can  it  be  that  that  old  man  knew  what  he  was  talking 
about?  "  some  of  the  people  began  to  ask  themselves.  "  Can 
it  be  possible  that  he  was  right  after  all?  " 

It  poured  the  second  day  and  the  third.  The  water  came 
into  the  houses  and  was  still  rising. 

The  people  began  to  pack  their  treasures  and  leave  their 
homes  to  flee  to  places  of  safety.  But  soon  they  dropped 
their  treasures  and  ran.  The  water  rose  to  the  housetops, 
the  treetops,  then  to  the  hills.  There  was  no  safety  any- 
where, and  they  were  drowned. 

But  out  on  the  face  of  the  deep  the  ark  rose  with  the 
waters,  and  floated.    The  good  father  and  mother  and  their 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  41 

children  were  safe  and  snug,  for  God  was  watching  over 
them  and  taking  care  of  them  all  the  time.  For  forty  days 
and  forty  nights  the  rain  poured  down. 

The  days  inside  passed  busily ;  every  morning  was  begun 
with  a  prayer  of  thanks  to  God,  and  the  busy  hours  were 
spent  in  taking  care  of  the  animals  and  being  kind  to  one 
another. 

The  waters  remained  upon  the  earth  Hke  a  great  sea  for 
many,  many  days ;  then  they  began  to  grow  less ;  every  day 
they  fell  a  little,  and  every  day  the  ark  settled  nearer  to  the 
ground.  After  a  while  the  bottom  of  the  ark  really  touched 
ground,  and  rested  on  the  top  of  a  high  mountain ;  still  the 
waters  fell,  little  by  little,  every  day.  Noah  and  his  family 
could  begin  to  see  the  tops  of  the  hills  when  they  looked  out 
of  the  window.  One  day  Noah  opened  the  window  and 
sent  out  a  raven.  The  raven  is  a  bird  that  has  strong,  black 
wings,  and  it  flew  out  over  the  water  and  never  came  back. 
Then,  another  day,  Noah  sent  out  a  dove;  but  the  gentle 
little  dove  could  find  no  resting  place ;  she  was  afraid  of  the 
water  and  flew  back  to  the  ark,  and  Noah  drew  her  in. 
Seven  days  afterwards  he  sent  the  dove  out  again ;  she  re- 
mained away  all  day,  but  in  the  evening  she  flew  back  to  the 
ark,  and  what  do  you  think  she  brought  in  her  bill  ?  A  fresh, 
green  olive  leaf  !  What  joy  there  was  in  the  ark !  How  the 
family  examined  the  new,  green  leaf !  They  knew  that  the 
tree  tops  were  uncovered  ! 

Some  days  later  Noah  sent  the  dove  out  again,  and  she 
did  not  come  back.  The  little  bird  knew  that  it  was  safe  to 
build  her  nest.  Not  long  afterwards  Noah  opened  the  door 
of  the  ark  and  behold,  the  water  was  gone.  God  said  to 
Noah :  "  You  may  now  leave  the  ark.  Go  forth  with  your 
family.    The  animals  also  may  go." 

What  a  happy  day  that  was !  How  glad  the  animals  were 
to  walk  upon  the  ground  again,  and  to  feed  upon  the  grass ! 
How  grateful  Noah  and  his  family  were  to  God,  who  had 
kept  them  so  safely  through  all  the  danger !  How  grateful 
they  were  to  have  a  home  again  upon  the  earth,  which  was 
washed  clean  from  sin ! 

Suggested  Activitie^s 
Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 


42  PRIMARY    CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

Let  the  children  draw  a  picture  of  what  they  think  the 
ark  floating  on  the  water  looked  like.  Through  this  you  may 
learn  whether  or  not  they  have  followed  your  story. 

Let  several  children  come  to  the  blackboard  and  put  down 
as  many  straight  lines  as  there  were  people  saved  in  the  ark. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

ANOTHER  STORY  OF  GOD'S  CARE 
Psalm  121 

MEMORY  VERSK 

"  Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
Whereof  we  are  glad." 

—Psalm  126 :3. 

The:  Teacher's  Preparation 

Through  this  lesson  give  the  pupils  another  example  of 
God's  loving  care  over  his  children.  We  wish  to  help  them 
to  feel  very,  very  sure  of  this  fact,  to  have  a  personal  trust 
in  such  care.  Habits  are  developed  by  many  repeated 
actions ;  we  wish  to  establish  this  personal  trust  as  a  habit. 
Let  us  accomplish  this  by  repeated  stories  which  strongly 
illustrate  our  theme. 

Following  the  lesson  story  is  a  service  of  worship  which 
still  further  emphasizes  the  thought  expressed  in  the  theme. 
In  classes  of  younger  pupils  the  teacher  will  need  to  help 
with  the  reading,  perhaps  do  the  major  portion;  but  make 
a  beginning  in  all  the  classes. 

Introduction 

Review  the  story  of  Noah  and  the  ark  in  such  a  way  that 
you  focus  the  high  lights  upon  your  theme.  This  review  will 
not  be  difficult,  as  every  child  loves  the  story. 

There  are  many  other  stories  than  the  story  given  which 
you  might  select.  An  excellent  lesson  could  be  arranged 
from  John  Paton's  autobiography,  the  incident  which  he  tells 
so  graphically  of  his  remarkable  deliverance  from  the  angry 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  43 

band  of  savages  who  approached  his  dwelHng  with  the  de- 
termination of  destroying  his  house  and  of  kilhng  the  mis- 
sionary and  everyone  else  under  the  roof.  At  the  critical 
moment,  a  heavy  thunderstorm  arose,  and  the  blinding 
flashes  of  lightning  and  deafening  roars  of  thunder  were 
interpreted  as  being  the  direct  intervention  of  the  "  Missi's  " 
God.    The  savages  dropped  their  weapons  and  fled. 

The:  Story 

A  long,  long  time  ago  a  man  was  walking  along  a  lonely 
road.  He  seemed  afraid  of  making  a  noise,  and  he  looked 
startled  whenever  he  stepped  upon  a  dry  twig,  stubbed 
against  a  stone,  or  brushed  against  the  branches  of  the  low- 
growing  bushes.  He  looked  this  way  and  that  to  see  if  he 
were  being  followed. 

He  was  very  tired,  and  his  shoes  were  dusty ;  his  clothing 
was  wrinkled  and  worn.  But  this  man  was  neither  a  beggar 
nor  a  tramp  nor  a  criminal.  He  was  a  king,  strange  as  this 
may  seem. 

Once  he  had  lived  in  a  castle  with  servants  to  wait  upon 
him ;  he  had  had  royal  clothing  and  dainty  food.  But  hard 
times  had  come  to  his  beloved  country ;  he  and  his  soldiers, 
many  brave  and  mighty  men,  had  marched  away  to  defend 
the  land  they  loved.  But  the  enemy  had  scattered  his  men, 
and  now  he  was  searching  for  a  place  of  safety. 

Night  was  coming.  Where  should  he  go?  How  lonely 
it  was  out  on  the  darkening  road !  Even  the  brave  king 
longed  for  some  one  to  take  care  of  him. 

Presently  he  came  to  a  sort  of  cave  in  the  rocks.  It  was 
a  strange  place  for  a  king  to  spend  a  night,  but  it  was  better 
than  the  open  road  where  his  enemies  might  pass  at  any 
time. 

He  crept  in  the  narrow  opening,  and  went  back  as  far 
within  as  he  could.  He  wrapped  his  coat  about  him,  and 
made  himself  as  comfortable  as  he  could  for  the  night. 

I  am  quite  sure  that  this  good  king  must  have  said  a 
prayer  to  God  before  he  went  to  sleep,  and  asked  for  his 
care.  I  am  quite  sure  he  must  have  begged  that  his  people 
and  his  country  be  watched  over  and  made  happy  again. 
He  was  glad  and  grateful  for  the  hiding  place,  even  though 
it  was  a  cheerless  spot. 


44  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

The  hours  of  the  long  nighttime  passed ;  morning  came 
and  the  king  was  still  in  the  cave.  But  presently  he  thought 
he  heard  footsteps  coming  along  the  road.  Yes,  feet  were 
stumbling  over  the  stones,  more  than  one  pair;  indeed,  the 
king  was  sure  that  several  people  were  approaching.  Then 
men  began  to  speak. 

*'  He  must  have  come  along  this  road,"  said  some  one. 

"  Aha !  here  is  a  likely  hiding  place !  A  cave !  "  said  a 
gruff  voice. 

"  Let  us  search  it !  "  said  another  man. 

"  Save  your  strength,  fellows,"  said  the  Man-Who- 
Thought-He-Knew  with  a  laugh.  "  There  is  no  need  to  look 
here !  " 

"  How  is  that,  man  ?    I  say  go  ahead  !  " 

"  Well,  I  for  one  will  not  go.    You  will  not  find  him  here." 

"  How  speak  you  so  surely,  man  ?  " 

"  Look  at  the  spider  web ! "  laughed  the  Man-Who- 
Thought-He-Knew.  "  Could  anyone  get  beyond  that  web 
without  showing  his  tracks  ?  " 

The  men  looked.  There,  indeed,  a  little  spider  had  woven 
a  w^onder fully  thick  and  beautiful  web,  back  and  forth,  back 
and  forth,  round  and  round  over  the  door  of  the  cave. 

"  Ho !  Ho !  I  for  one  pass  on !  "  again  exclaimed  the  Man- 
Who-Thought-He-Knew. 

"  I  follow !  "  said  another,  and  another,  and  the  clicking 
of  footsteps  against  the  stones  grew  fainter  and  fainter,  and 
soon  the  king  was  all  alone  again.  No,  not  all  alone,  because 
he  then  knew  that  God  was  there  taking  care  of  him  all  the 
time.  And  I  am  sure  the  king's  heart  was  full  of  gratitude 
and  his  first  words  were  whispers  of  thanks  to  our  heavenly 
Father  who  had  saved  him  from  danger. 


A  Prayer 

Our  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  thy  loving  care 
over  us  every  day  and  every  night.  We  are  more  grateful 
now  that  we  are  beginning  to  think  about  this  and  to  under- 
stand about  it.  We  thank  thee  and  praise  thee.  Help  us  to 
remember  that  thou  art  near  us  whenever  we  are  in  need. 
Amen. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  45 

A  Short  S^wicf:  oi^  Worship 

Song  :  "  How  Strong  and  Sweet  My  Father's  Care." 

"  Carols,"  page  43. 

Repeat  line  after  line  with  the  teacher. 

"Jehovah  is  thy  keeper: 

The  sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day, 
Nor  the  moon  by  night. 
Jehovah  will  keep  thee  from  all  evil; 
He  will  keep  thy  soul," 

Song  :  "  God    Sees  the  Little  Sparrow  Fall." 

"  The  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal,"  Number  144. 

Recitation  by  one  of  the  older  children  or  by  the  class. 
God  Loves  Me 

"  God  cares  for  every  little  child 
That  on  this  large  earth  liveth: 
He  gives  them  home  and  food  and  clothes — 
And  more  than  this  God  giveth. 

"What  can  a  little  child  give  God? 
From  his  bright  heaven  above 
The  great  God  smiles,  and  reaches  down 
To  take  his  children's  love." 

Class  : 

"  Praise  ye  Jehovah. 
Praise  Jehovah,  O  my  soul. 
While  I  live  will  I  praise  Jehovah: 

I  will  sing  praises  unto  my  God  while  I  have  any  being." 

—Psalm  146. 

Suggested  Activity 

Impromptu  dramatization  of  the  story  of  the  king  who 
was  saved  from  danger  by  God's  care  through  the  weaving 
of  a  little  spider's  web. 


CHAPTER  VI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

NOAH  THANKING  GOD 

Genesis  8:20-22;  9:1-3,  8-17 

Memory  Verse 

"  Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
Whereof  we  are  glad." 

—Psalm  126:3. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Although  the  thought  to  be  developed,  and  the  reaction  to 
be  obtained  in  the  lives  of  the  children  are  of  the  greatest 
importance,  the  story  material  and  the  incidents  in  this  les- 
son are  of  a  far  less  exciting  nature  than  those  in  the  lesson 
just  preceding.  The  teacher  undoubtedly  will  find  this  les- 
son more  difficult  to  teach,  and  she  will  need  to  be  carefully 
prepared  with  abundant  material  of  a  correlated  nature. 

Use  a  portion  of  this  lesson  period  to  teach  a  Thanks- 
giving song  and  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving.  The  children  of 
Primary  age  are  approaching  the  time  when  the  ability  to 
memorize  is  very  strong;  and  the  teacher  should  recognize 
this  fact,  and  prepare  for  it.  Keep  a  small  blank  book  in 
which  to  preserve  and  have  in  readiness  the  Bible  verses 
and  gems  of  thought  which  you  desire  your  class  to  memor- 
ize. Teach  these  so  well  that  they  cannot  be  forgotten. 
Frequently  supplement  such  a  lesson  as  this  with  drill  upon 
the  memory  work. 

If  this  lesson  occurs  upon  a  sunny  day,  bring  a  prism  with 
you  to  the  classroom,  in  order  to  flash  the  beautiful  rainbow 
colors  about  the  room.  If  the  day  is  cloudy  show  the  rain- 
bow colors  by  means  of  strips  of  colored  paper  obtained 
from  The  Milton  Bradley  Company  or  from  any  other  place 
where  you  are  able  to  obtain  educational  supplies. 

Open  your  lesson  by  a  short  talk  about  the  "  rainbow," 

46 


PRIMARY   CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  47 

and  then  picture  graphically  the  scene  on  the  mountain  top 
where  Noah  built  the  first  altar  which  is  mentioned  in  the 
Bible,  and  where  he  and  his  family  gathered  about  it  for 
"  family  prayers  "  and  thanksgiving  to  God  for  his  pre- 
serving care. 

Introduction 

(Flash  the  prism  in  the  sunlight.)  I  thought  that  you 
would  think  these  colors  beautiful !  I  shall  flash  them  again. 
Let  me  see  if  I  can  make  them  rest  on  Helen's  dress.  Now 
on  Henry's  sleeve.  Of  what  do  they  make  you  think?  Did 
you  ever  see  anything  like  this  in  the  sky?  When?  After 
a  thunderstorm.  Let  us  see  if  we  can  name  the  colors — 
violet,  blue,  green,  yellow,  orange,  red. 

I  think  you  often  have  run  to  the  window  to  call  to 
mother :  "  Oh,  here's  a  rainbow !  Come  and  look  at  the 
rainbow !  " 

Once  there  was  a  little  Indian  boy  named  Hiawatha  who 
lived  in  a  tent  with  his  old  grandmother,  Nokomis.  His 
mother  was  dead.  Sometimes  a  storm  would  come  and  the 
wind  would  rock  the  trees  and  the  rain  would  fall  and  the 
thunder  roll  and  the  lightning  flash.  Hiawatha  was  fright- 
ened because  he  was  only  a  little  boy. 

But  after  a  while  the  wind  would  cease  blowing,  and  the 
rain  would  stop  and  the  sun  would  begin  to  shine  through 
the  clouds.  Hiawatha  would  go  to  the  tent  door,  to  breathe 
the  sweet  air,  and  look  about. 

Presently  he  would  call  his  grandmother  and  point  up  to 
the  sky.  "  What  is  that,  Nokomis  ?  "  Up  in  the  heavens 
would  be  a  beautiful  bow  of  color  like  this,  a  great  big  bow 
like  a  bridge  which  reached  from  earth  to  heaven ! 

"What  is  that,  Nokomis?"  the  little  Indian  boy  would 
ask. 

Then  the  old  grandmother  would  try  to  tell  him,  but  what 
she  told  him  was  only  a  make-believe  story,  and  not  the 
truth  at  all,  for  she  was  a  poor  old  Indian  woman  who  did 
not  know. 

Shall  I  tell  you  a  beautiful,  true  story  about  the  rainbow? 
It  is  a  story  as  old  as  the  story  of  Noah  and  the  ark;  it  is 
really  a  part  of  that  story,  and  you  must  know  that  story 


48  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

very  well  indeed  in  order  really  to  understand  this  story 
about  the  rainbow.  Let  us  tell  this  story  together.  (Review 
with  questions  similar  to  the  following)  : 

What  was  the  name  of  the  man  who  built  the  ark?  How 
many  children  did  he  have  ?  What  were  their  names  ?  Did 
they  have  a  mother?  What  kind  of  people  were  Noah  and 
his  family?  What  kind  of  neighbors  did  they  have?  What 
kind  of  people  were  all  those  round  about  at  that  time?  It 
was  quite  hard  for  Noah  and  his  boys  and  even  the  mother 
to  be  good ;  they  were  pretty  brave  people  just  because  they 
were  good.    Can  you  think  of  any  reason  for  this  ? 

God  is  always  pleased  when  his  children  try  to  do  right, 
and  he  was  pleased  with  Noah.  He  is  angry  with  the  wicked 
people,  for  the  Bible  tells  us  so.  What  did  God  tell  Noah? 
Noah  obeyed,  and  began  to  build  the  ark.  Who  can  take  up 
the  story  right  here?  (Let  some  child  tell.)  That  is  good. 
Who  can  go  on?  (Break  up  the  story  at  easy  stages  and 
review  till  you  complete.) 

The^  Story 

Forty  days  to  eat  your  meals  in  a  great,  big  boat  that  was 
rocking  on  the  deep  water !  Forty  nights  to  sleep  in  a  boat ! 
That  was  a  long  time.  It  does  not  take  nearly  so  long  as 
that  to  go  across  the  ocean.  Some  little  boys  and  girls  have 
come  to  live  in  America  from  lands  across  the  sea,  and  the 
journey  in  the  big  boat  seemed  so  long.  But  it  really  was 
not  nearly  so  long  as  Noah  and  his  wife  and  his  family 
floated  in  that  ark. 

What  a  glad  day  it  was  when  the  dove  brought  back  the 
green  olive  leaf  in  her  bill,  and  the  family  knew  that  dry 
land  was  near !  Then  came  the  day  when  Noah  let  her  go 
out  and  she  did  not  come  back.  She  had  found  a  place  to 
build  a  nest. 

Not  long  afterwards  God  bade  Noah  open  the  door  of  the 
ark.    The  flood  was  over.    They  could  go  out  in  safety. 

The  cattle  went  outside  to  nibble  the  grass,  and  so  did  the 
sheep  and  the  lambs.  The  birds  were  outside  hunting  for 
the  best  places  to  build  their  nests,  and  the  goats  were 
clambering  up  the  rocks  on  the  side  of  the  mountain. 

Noah  and  his  good  wife  and  their  family  went  outside  to 
breathe  in  deep  breaths  of  the  outdoor  air.     "  How  good 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  49 

God  was  to  take  care  of  us  through  all  the  danger !  "  they 
exclaimed  over  and  over  again.  "  How  kind  God  was  to 
keep  us  safely !  "  "  How  thankful  we  are  to  him !  "  And 
their  hearts  were  very  full  of  love  for  our  heavenly  Father. 

Presently  Noah  began  to  gather  some  of  the  stones  from 
the  mountain  side  and  place  them  in  a  pile.  "  Let  us  build 
an  altar  and  kneel  round  it  and  pray  to  our  God.  Let  us 
speak  our  thanks  to  our  heavenly  Father."  The  sons  helped 
their  father,  and  soon  the  altar  was  made. 

Then  Noah  offered  a  gift  to  God,  and  the  father  and  his 
family  said  their  grateful  prayers  of  thanks  to  God  for 
taking  care  of  them  through  all  the  danger. 

God  was  pleased  to  see  this  right,  new  beginning  on  his 
earth,  and  he  loved  his  obedient  children  and  blessed  them. 
He  said:  "I  will  never  again  take  away  all  life  from  the 
earth  with  a  flood.  While  the  earth  remaineth,  seedtime  and 
harvest,  and  cold  and  heat,  and  summer  and  winter,  and 
day  and  night  shall  not  cease." 

Then  God  made  a  loving  promise  to  Noah,  and  gave  him  a 
beautiful  sign  by  which  to  remember  the  promise.  God 
said :  "  I  make  my  promise  to  you  and  to  your  children,  and 
to  all  the  people  who  live  after  you.  I  also  make  my  promise 
to  the  living  creatures  that  go  out  of  the  ark,  the  birds,  the 
cattle,  and  all  the  beasts  of  the  field.  Never  again  shall  all 
the  people  in  the  earth  be  destroyed  by  a  flood.  Here  is  the 
sign  of  my  promise  to  help  you  to  remember." 

Noah  and  his  family  looked  up  into  the  sky.  A  beautiful 
arch  of  lovely  colors  reached  like  a  bridge  from  earth  to 
heaven.  A  rainbow !  "  This  is  the  sign  of  my  promise," 
God  said.  "  This  is  my  promise  forever.  I  do  set  my  bow 
in  the  cloud.  When  I  bring  a  shower  to  the  earth,  you  shall 
see  the  sign  of  my  promise  in  the  clouds  when  they  part.  I 
will  remember  my  promise  and  keep  it.  There  shall  'never 
again  be  a  flood  that  shall  destroy  all  the  people  in  the  earth." 

SuGGKSTDD  Activities 

Let  the  children  copy  the  Memory  Verse  if  they  are  able 
to  do  so. 

The  younger  people  may  copy  the  following  Bible  verse: 
"  He  careth  for  you." 


50  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

ANOTHER  STORY  OF  GOD'S  CARE :  A  CRADLE 
AND  A  FLOOD 

Psalms  61:1,  2;  136:1-5 
Memory  Vkrse 
"  He  careth  for  you." — I  Peter  5  :7b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

By  means  of  the  material  given  in  this  lesson  bring  down 
to  the  children's  own  little  lives  the  theme  which  you  are 
developing,  "  God's  Care  Calling  Forth  Love  and  Thanks." 
We  have  been  dwelling  upon  the  thought  of  God's  father- 
hood, and  a  living  father  gives  his  care  unstintingly.  The 
normal  child's  reaction  is  sure  to  follow:  trust,  love,  and  a 
thankful  heart. 

A  devotional  service  should  occupy  a  prominent  place  in 
this  lesson,  and  full  suggestions  are  included.  Add  to  these 
what  you  yourself  are  prompted  to  use. 

The  little  story  given  is  somewhat  similar  in  thought  to 
the  conditions  given  in  the  story  of  Noah  and  the  ark.  It  is 
used  in  a  day-school  textbook,  "  Pictures  and  Stories," 
(Steps  to  Literature),  and  may  possibly  be  familiar  to  some 
of  your  pupils,  although  it  is  here  developed  quite  differently, 
and  is  used  to  illustrate  our  particular  theme. 

Every  one  of  these  lessons  should  be  accompanied  by  as 
much  Biblical  memory  work  as  your  class  can  accomplish. 
All  the  lessons  can  be  especially  beautifully  correlated  with 
many  of  the  verses  of  David's  psalms  of  thanksgiving  and 
praise.  David's  life  was  filled  with  experiences  where  he 
needed  the  care  and  protection  of  our  heavenly  Father,  and 
from  the  days  when  he  was  a  simple-hearted  shepherd  lad 
through  the  period  of  kingly  leadership  of  his  people  he  was 
an  illustrious  example  of  one  who  accepted  God  as  his 
Father,  and  turned  to  him  and  trusted  him. 

Introduction  to  the  Story 

(Sketch  a  picture  representing  a  "Noah's  Ark,"  or  have 
at  hand  a  wooden  toy  ark.)     Here  is  something  that  is  going 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  51 

to  make  you  think  of  a  story  I  told  you  a  while  ago.  Who 
remembers  ?  Oh,  ever  so  many  do.  Tell  me,  Edna.  Was 
that  what  you  remembered.  Jack?  And  you,  Edgar?  How 
many  thought  of  Noah  and  the  Flood?  Who  can  tell  how 
many  people  were  saved,  and  their  names?  Who  saved 
them?  Why  were  they  saved?  Yes,  God,  their  heavenly 
Father,  saved  them— and  they  were  kept  from  all  harm  be- 
cause they  were  good  and  obeyed  God. 

(Flash  your  prism.)  What  story  does  this  make  you 
think  of  ?  The  story  of  the  rainbow.  The  rainbow  is  beau- 
tiful, and  the  story  is  beautiful.  It  is  not  a  very  long  story. 
Who  would  like  to  tell  it  ?  Robert  tells  a  good  story ;  let 
him  try.     (Review  story.) 

I  know  another  good  story  about  a  flood — not  a  great  big 
flood  like  the  flood  in  Noah's  time — it  was  only  a  little  flood, 
but  it  could  not  help  but  remind  the  people  who  saw  it  of 
that  other  flood  when  God  took  care  of  Noah  and  his  good 
family.  It  is  not  a  story  to  be  found  in  the  Bible,  but  it  is 
true.    Shall  I  tell  it  ? 

Thk  Story 

(Make  a  very  simple  blackboard  sketch  of  a  house.  This 
need  be  but  a  few  lines  to  spur  imagination.) 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  nice  little  family  that  lived 
in  a  house  like  this.  (Draw.)  There  was  a  father  and  a 
mother,  a  little  daughter,  and  the  baby.  Right  near  the  house 
ran  a  river,  like  this.  Of  course  it  is  a  beautiful  sight  to 
look  out  of  your  window  over  the  water ;  and  it  is  pleasant 
to  be  able  to  play  along  the  bank  and  sail  little  chips  like 
boats.  But  it  is  not  always  wise  to  build  too  close  to  the 
water's  edge,  unless  the  house  is  high  above,  on  rocks. 
Sometimes  when  the  rain  comes  the  river  rises  and  spreads 
away  up  on  the  banks  like  a  flood.  It  creeps  up  and  up 
even  into  the  houses.  Then,  oh,  how  frightened  every- 
one is ! 

Now  it  happened  that  father  and  mother  had  to  leave 
home  on  an  errand,  and  little  sister  was  left  to  keep  house, 
and  to  take  care  of  baby. 

"  Be  a  good  child,  dear,"  said  father  as  he  kissed  her 
good-by. 


52  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  I  know  that  she  will  be  a  good  little  housekeeper,  and 
take  care  of  baby,"  said  mother,  and  then  they  started  away. 

How  grown  up  she  felt !  First  of  all  she  rocked  baby  to 
sleep  in  the  little  cradle  which  looked  like  this.  (Draw.) 

When  baby  was  sound  asleep  she  said  to  herself,  "  Now  I 
will  go  upstairs  to  make  the  beds,"  and  she  tiptoed  upstairs 
without  making  a  bit  of  noise,  and  soon  was  working  like  a 
fine  little  housekeeper. 

Now,  although  there  had  been  rain,  and  the  water  in  the 
river  was  high,  father  and  mother  did  not  know  that  it  was 
going  to  rise  till  it  was  like  a  flood.  They  never,  never 
would  have  left  little  sister  and  baby  if  they  had  known  this. 

While  little  sister  was  making  the  beds  upstairs,  the  water 
kept  creeping,  creeping  nearer  the  little  house.  Presently 
it  reached  the  door  and  crept  under  it ;  then  it  lapped  over 
the  floor  till  it  reached  the  cradle  where  baby  lay  peacefully 
sleeping. 

Little  sister  kept  on  busily  working  till  she  finished  the 
beds;  then  she  looked  out  of  the  window.  She  rubbed  her 
eyes — everything  was  changed.  Was  this  her  home  or  was 
she  dreaming  ?  Where  was  the  barn  ?  Where  was  the  hay- 
rack ?  There  was  water,  water  everywhere !  And  what  was 
that  floating  away  toward  the  place  where  the  gate  had 
stood  ?  Was  it  a  little  boat  ?  It  looked  something  like  a  big 
Noah's  ark.  Oh,  could  it  be?  Little  sister  gasped,  when 
she  heard  a  sound  which  she  knew  was  baby's  voice.  It  was 
baby  and  the  cradle.  And  perched  on  baby's  feet  looking 
as  angry  as  angry  could  be,  was  the  black  kitten.  Little 
sister  knew  how  he  hated  water. 

But  baby  was  crowing  and  laughing.  He  knew  no  danger, 
and  he  liked  the  queer,  rocking  motion  as  the  cradle  drifted 
away  from  his  home. 

Little  sister  did  what  you  would  have  done — she  called 
for  father  and  mother,  oh,  how  she  called.  God  was  very 
good  to  the  little  family ;  I  am  sure  that  it  was  he  who 
helped  father  to  know  just  what  to  do  when  he  found  that 
the  flood  had  surrounded  his  home ;  I  am  sure  that  God  put 
strength  into  his  arms  as  he  pushed  a  boat  with  a  pole 
toward  the  house.  I  am  sure  that  mother  must  have  said 
a  quick  prayer  as  she  sat  in  the  corner  of  the  boat  and  waited 
till  the  long  minutes  passed. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  53 

"  Oh,  my  baby !  My  little  daughter !  "  she  exclaimed,  as 
she  looked  over  the  water. 

Father  pushed  with  all  his  strength,  and  at  last  he  reached 
the  cradle,  and  mother  clasped  baby  in  her  arms.  Then  they 
pushed  toward  the  window,  and  father  lifted  little  sister 
into  the  boat,  and  they  rowed  away  to  a  place  out  of  reach 
of  the  waters. 

What  a  happy  family  that  was  when  they  ate  their  supper 
that  evening.  Even  the  kitten  purred  happily  in  little  sister's 
lap.  And  I  am  sure  that  they  must  have  said  a  prayer  of 
thanksgiving  and  praise  to  God  before  they  went  to  sleep. 

Song 

"Thanks  for  Constant  Care."  ("Song  Stories  for  the 
Sunday  School.") 

Praykr 

Heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  taking  care  of  us 
every  day  and  all  through  the  night  when  we  are  asleep. 
Help  us  to  remember  to  turn  to  thee  in  times  of  danger  or 
of  trouble.    Amen. 

Song 
"  God's  Goodness."    ("Carols.") 

Re:ading  Lksson 

"  Hear  my  cry,  O  God  ; 
Attend  unto  my  prayer. 

From  the  end  of  the  earth  will  I  call  unto  thee,  when  my 
heart  is  overwhelmed : 

Lead  me  to  the  rock  that  is  higher  than  I." 

—Psalm  61 :1,  2. 

"  Oh  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah ;  for  he  is  good ; 

For  his  lovingkindness  endureth  for  ever. 
"  Oh  give  thanks  unto  the  God  of  gods ; 

For  his  lovingkindness  endureth  for  ever." 

—Psalm  136:1,2. 


54  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

(Give  only  the  simplest  verses  if  you  need  to  simplify; 
explain  the  hard  words.) 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Construct  a  Bible  bookmark  with  the  Memory  Verse  writ- 
ten across  it,  and  give  it  to  father,  mother,  or  some  shut-in. 

Draw  a  representation  of  Noah's  ark. 

Make  toy  cut-out  animals  and  an  ark  to  send  to  some 
child  who  is  ill.  The  teacher  will  have  to  give  considerable 
assistance  in  order  to  make  a  success  of  this  problem. 

The  teacher  may  make  a  cardboard  pattern  of  a  baby*s 
cradle  and  help  the  children  to  make  cut-outs  for  book- 
marks, and  copy  the  Memory  Verse,  or  one  of  the  simplest 
of  the  reading  lesson  verses,  on  the  back. 


CHAPTER  VII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  PEOPLE  OF  ISRAEL  SAVED  AT  THE 
RED  SEA^ 

Exodus  14:5-31 

Memory  Vers^ 

"  Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
Whereof  we  are  glad."  .^^  ^ 

— Psalm  126:3. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 
Remember  that  we  are  not  selecting  the  Bible  stories  of 
this  course  in  historical  sequence,  but  are  choosing  them  to 
throw  light  upon  certain  themes  which  should  form  a  part 
of  the  religious  instruction  of  every  little  child.  Keep  con- 
stantly in  mind  the  theme  which  we  now  are  studying: 
"  God's  Care  Calling  Forth  Love  and  Thanks."  This  story, 
telling  of  God's  wonderful  preservation  of  the  children  of 
Israel  in  their  flight  from  Pharaoh  is  surely  one  of  the 
clearest  of  incidents  we  could  choose  to  bring  out  the  truth 
of  our  theme.  The  story  always  appeals  to  the  Primary 
child's  interest  in  the  marvelous,  and  to  his  sense  of  justice. 
The  action  of  the  story  is  so  swift  in  its  movement  as  to 
rivet  attention  from  beginning  to  end. 

A  Reading  Lesson  for  the  Teacher 
Exodus,  chapters  5  to  14.     (This  is  necessary.) 
To  appreciate  this  lesson  fully,  and  to  be  able  to  tell  it 
well,  the  teacher  should  know  something  of  the  splendor  of 
ancient  Egypt,  and  also  be  able  to  understand  the  strength 

iThis  lesson  and  the  lesson  for  the  following  Sunday  are 
Thanksgiving  lessons,  and  in  order  to  make  them  seasonable, 
it  may  be  necessary  to  shift  the  material  of  the  course,  givmg 
these  lessons  either  earlier  or  later. 

55 


56  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

of  character  and  initiative  which  Moses  displayed  when  he 
vokintarily  became  the  leader  of  his  people. 

The  wealthy  Egyptian  was  a  model  country  gentleman. 
His  mansion  was  a  magnificant  dwelling  inclosing  a  court- 
yard. This  courtyard  was  a  beautiful  garden  in  the  center 
of  which  was  a  fountain  or  pool  which  supplied  water  for 
the  fruit  and  shade  trees — pomgranate,  fig,  and  others  in- 
digenous to  the  country.  The  air  was  fragrant  with  flowers, 
and  the  lotus  blossoms  floated  on  the  water.  Gardeners 
tended  and  clipped  and  pruned  the  trees  and  bushes  into 
shape. 

There  were  luxuries  within  doors  as  well  as  without. 
Soft  carpets  and  rugs  covered  the  floors ;  chairs  and  couches 
of  rare  woods,  carved  and  inlaid  with  ivory,  constituted  the 
furniture;  upon  sideboards  and  tables  were  to  be  found 
dainty  glass  vases  of  flowers,  and  thin  goblets  for  'drinking. 

The  dining  room  was  a  magnificant  hall,  and  the  sleeping 
apartments  were  cool  and  airy,  opening  on  to  the  verandas. 

The  master  of  this  paradise  strode  forth  to  view  his 
possessions  clad  in  white  linen,  with  anklets  and  bracelets  of 
gold,  and  carrying  a  sort  of  baton  to  show  his  dignity  and 
authority.  Everywhere  the  slaves  and  servants  moved  about 
performing  the  menial  tasks  of  the  household,  or  minister- 
ing in  some  way  to  the  pleasure  and  well-being  of  their  lord, 
his  household,  and  guests.  This  was  the  Eg}'pt  which  God's 
people  served. 

The  Story 

"  Father  will  be  so  tired  when  he  comes  home  to-night." 
Those  were  the  words  that  mother  almost  always  said  to 
little  Joseph  and  Sarah ;  then  she  would  get  something  good 
for  him  to  eat,  to  make  him  feel  rested  and  strong  again. 
When  father  came  in  sight,  Joseph  and  Sarah  would  hurry 
to  meet  him,  and  he  was  never  too  tired  to  pick  up  little 
Esther  and  kiss  her,  nor  to  take  Joseph  by  the  hand  and  ask 
if  he  had  been  a  good,  obedient  boy,  for  father  loved  his 
children  dearly. 

How  sorry  Joseph  was  as  he  felt  of  father's  tired,  rough 
hands  that  had  been  working  in  the  king's  brickyards  all  day 
long.  Esther  put  her  smooth  little  hands  gently  over  the 
sore  that  the  king's  overseer  had  made  when  he  beat  father 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  57 

one  day  when  he  could  not  work  fast  enough  to  please 
him. 

"  Does  it  hurt  to-night,  father  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Mother 
will  bind  it  up  again." 

When  they  reached  home  mother  had  the  supper  all  ready ; 
the  meat  that  father  liked  the  best,  onions  that  Joseph  had 
helped  to  raise,  and  a  fresh,  sweet  melon.  It  was  good  to 
get  home  at  night. 

"  Has  the  work  been  harder  to-day  ? "  asked  mother 
anxiously. 

"  Yes,  they  have  doubled  the  work,  and  they  make  us 
gather  our  own  straw  for  the  bricks,"  sighed  father.  "  How 
long,  O  God,  how  long  will  it  be  ?  " 

**  But  our  God  has  promised  to  save  us,"  mother  would 
answer. 

"  Moses,  our  leader,  has  been  before  Pharaoh,  the  king," 
added  father,  "  but  he  will  not  let  us  go." 

However,  God  made  Pharaoh  understand  that  he  must 
let  his  people  go,  and  one  busy  night  the  Israelites  were 
very,  very  wide  awake ;  that  is,  all  but  the  smallest  of  the 
children — packing  bundles  and  getting  ready  to  leave  the 
land  of  Egypt  and  take  their  journey  to  a  beautiful  new 
home  which  God  had  promised  them. 

They  ate  a  hurried  meal  and  then  they  started;  quietly, 
with  their  flocks  of  sheep  and  cattle,  they  began  their  flight. 
All  sorts  of  bundles  were  fastened  to  beasts  of  burden,  and 
clasped  in  the  arms  of  the  travelers. 

On,  on  they  marched ;  some  of  the  sick  people  rode  on  the 
beasts  of  burden  and  some  of  the  smallest  of  the  children 
were  tucked  in  bags  which  hung  over  the  backs  of  the 
donkeys.  By  and  by  the  boys  and  girls  who  walked  and 
even  the  mothers  grew  tired,  but  they  were  very  patient. 

After  a  while  some  one — perhaps  it  was  little  Joseph,  for 
he  was  bright  and  quick — said,  "  I  hear  the  waves  of  the 
ocean." 

Indeed,  there  was  the  sea,  and  the  waves  were  lapping  the 
shore.  They  must  pass,  but  how  ?  The  fathers  were  talking 
about  it  when  suddenly  some  one  exclaimed,  "  What  is  that 
noise?  " 

"  It  is  the  sound  of  chariot  wheels !  The  king  is  after  us ! 
Pharaoh  and  his  soldiers  are  coming !  " 


58  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Soon  the  great  crowd  was  all  in  confusion.  Mothers 
clasped  their  children  in  their  arms,  and  the  boys  and  girls 
began  to  cry.  The  fathers  began  pulling  up  the  tent  sticks 
which  they  had  been  driving  in  the  ground.  Even  the  little 
lambs  and  sheep  were  frightened. 

It  was  Pharaoh.  He  was  sorry  he  had  let  his  slaves  go. 
"Who  will  make  my  bricks?"  he  said  to  himself.  "Who 
will  build  my  great  buildings  ?  Who  will  serve  me  at  table  ? 
Who  will  wash  my  clothes?  Who  will  take  care  of  my 
gardens?  Who  will  tend  my  flocks?  Who  will  make  my 
garlands  of  flowers  ?  " 

Then  he  ordered  his  soldiers  and  his  chariots,  and  bade 
them  hurry. 

"Hurry  after  my  slaves  and  bring  them  back!"  he 
ordered. 

The  people  looked  at  the  sea ;  there  seemed  no  way  to  get 
over.    They  trembled  with  fear. 

"  He  will  catch  us !  He  will  catch  us  !  "  cried  Joseph ; 
and  Esther  put  her  head  in  mother's  lap. 

"  What  shall  we  do?  "  groaned  the  fathers.  Then,  strange 
to  say,  they  began  to  scold  Moses. 

"  We  would  better  have  stayed  in  Egypt !  "  they  cried. 
"If  we  have  to  go  back,  our  lot  will  be  harder  that  it  has 
ever  been  before !  " 

Moses  prayed  to  God,  and  God  answered.  God  said : 
"  Tell  the  people  to  go  forward.  Stretch  thy  rod  out  over 
the  sea." 

Moses  obeyed,  and  behold,  wonderful  to  tell,  the  sea 
parted,  and  a  path  appeared.  The  people  marched  onward 
through  the  midst  of  the  sea,  yet  on  land. 

But  on  dashed  Pharaoh's  horses.  The  drivers  urged  them 
forward.  On  came  the  chariots,  right  over  the  same  path. 
However,  the  mud  began  to  cling  to  the  chariot  wheels,  and 
they  moved  more  and  more  slowly ;  besides,  the  Egyptians 
could  not  see  very  well  in  the  darkrjess,  for  the  bright  cloud 
that  gave  light  to  the  Israelites  was  dark  toward  them.  The 
Israelites  reached  the  other  side  of  the  sea  in  safety. 

God  then  said  to  Moses,  "  Stretch  out  thy  hand  over  the 
sea."  Moses  obeyed,  and  the  waters  rolled  back  to  their 
places.  The  path  disappeared.  The  chariots  and  horses  and 
the  drivers  were  covered  by  the  waves,  and  drowned.     God 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  59 

had  been  caring  for  his  people,  and  had  saved  them  from  the 
anger  of  Pharaoh  and  his  chariots  and  horsemen. 

SuGGKSTKD  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Make  a  picture  representing  the  shore  of  the  sea.  This 
may  be  done  with  wax  crayons,  or  with  the  colored  papers 
obtained  from  educational  supply  stores. 

The  teacher  may  make  a  simple  pattern  of  an  Egyptian 
chariot  and  the  children  may  make  cut-outs,  and  mount 
them. 

Review  the  following  verse.  Teach  it  again,  if  not  already 
learned.    Have  it  read  from  the  blackboard  or  copied : 

God  Loves  Me 

"  God  cares  for  every  little  child 
That  on  this  large  earth  liveth; 
He  gives  them  home  and  food  and  clothes — 
And  more  than  these  God  giveth." 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

A  SONG  OF  THANKSGIVING 

Exodus  15  :1,  2,  20,  21  ;  Psalm  50:23a 

Memory  Verse 

"  Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
Whereof  we  are  glad." 

—Psalm  126:3. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Open  your  lesson  with  a  review  of  the  story  of  the  Israel- 
ites saved  at  the  Red  Sea.  This  is  especially  necessary  as 
the  lesson  is  the  conclusion  to  that  story.  Make  this  lesson 
serve  as  an  application,  bringing  down  to  child  life  the  fact 
that  gratitude  is  the  only  right  state  of  mind  for  any  loving 
service,  and  most  especially  for  the  daily  blessings  as  well 
as  the  unusual  blessings  and  help  in  time  of  danger,  which 
come  from  God  to  all  of  us. 


60  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

After  you  have  told  the  Bible  story  about  "  A  Song  of 
Thanksgiving,"  tell  the  little  story  from  history,  given  in  this 
lesson,  picturing  vividly  the  gratitude  of  the  Indian,  and  also 
that  of  the  boy.  This  story  will  appeal  to  many  of  the 
pupils  who  are  making  little  excursions  into  the  realms  of 
the  history  of  their  country,  especially  during  the  weeks 
around  the  national  Thanksgiving  season. 

A  short  Thanksgiving  service  follows  the  lesson. 

The:  Story 

During  the  night  the  wind  had  blown,  and  the  waves  had 
dashed  far  up  on  the  shore.  Fathers  and  mothers  gathered 
their  children  about  them  in  a  safe  place  and  waited  for  the 
morning  to  come.  What  a  terrible  night  it  had  been.  They 
still  shuddered  when  they  thought  about  the  king  who  had 
tried  to  catch  them. 

At  last  the  sky  toward  the  east  began  to  turn  a  faint, 
light  color.    Morning  was  coming.    How  glad  everyone  was. 

"  We  are  safe !  "  exclaimed  little  Joseph's  father. 

"  God  has  saved  us !  "  answered  the  mother. 

All  through  that  great,  great  crowd  of  people  echoed  the 
words  :  *'  God  is  good !  It  was  God  who  saved  us  !  God  is 
good !  " 

"  God  is  good !  Let  us  thank  him !  "  exclaimed  one  and 
another. 

"  Yes,  let  us  praise  him !  " 

Moses,  their  leader,  had  a  good  sister  named  Miriam. 
Miriam  liked  music,  and  one  of  the  treasures  which  she  had 
brought  along  with  her  from  the  king's  country,  was  her 
timbrel.  A  timbrel  was  a  musical  instrument,  and  she  could 
play  it  well. 

Moses,  the  leader,  began  to  sing,  and  the  men  joined  with 
him  in  praise  songs  to  God.  Miriam  played  on  her  timbrel, 
and  the  women  sang. 

What  a  happy  Thanksgiving  day  that  was. 

Dwell  upon  the  thought  that  every  deed  of  kindness  nat- 
urally awakens  a  feeling  of  gratitude,  and  help  the  children 
to  feel  a  contempt  for  the  mean  soul  that  does  not  so  react. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  61 

Another  Thanksgiving  Story:  The  Grateful  Indian^ 

It  was  a  bright  summer  morning,  a  long  time  ago,  in  a 
little  town  in  New  England.  It  was  the  time  when  Indians 
lived  in  almost  every  woods  and  fathers  carried  guns  when 
they  left  home,  and  mothers  locked  the  doors  very,  very 
tight  at  night  for  fear  the  Indians  might  hurt  them. 

Mother  was  shelling  peas  on  the  porch,  and  John  and  Jean 
were  playing  round  the  yard. 

Presently  John  looked  out  of  the  yard,  for  he  heard  some 
one  passing.  It  was  an  Indian  woman  with  her  baby 
strapped  to  her  back,  her  little  papoose. 

John  saw  that  something  was  the  matter  with  the  baby, 
and  he  ran  after  the  woman  and  asked  her  about  it. 

"  Papoose  sick,"  said  the  Indian  mother.  "  See  doctor." 
She  loved  her  baby. 

"  Bring  the  baby  in  here  and  my  mother  will  make  it 
well,"  said  John  kindly. 

The  Indian  woman  followed  John  into  the  yard  and  his 
mother  took  the  sick  little  papoose  on  her  lap. 

Poor  little  baby!  How  he  cried  I  John  and  Jean  stood 
near  mother,  ready  to  help.  Mother  gave  it  some  medicine 
and  petted  it.    She  comforted  the  troubled  Indian  mother. 

By  and  by  the  baby  stopped  crying,  and  went  to  sleep. 

"  There,  baby  is  better !  He  will  soon  be  well !  "  said 
mother,  and  she  put  him  back  in  his  mother's  arms. 

"  Good  doctor !  Good  doctor !  "  exclaimed  the  Indian 
woman,  and  then  she  left  the  yard  and  started  toward  her 
wigwam  in  the  woods. 

The  next  day  the  Indian  woman  came  back  with  her  baby, 
and  mother  washed  it,  and  gave  it  some  more  medicine. 
Then  she  put  on  some  pretty,  clean  clothes  that  once  had 
been  Jean's.  After  a  while  the  baby  grew  well,  and  the 
woman  did  not  come  back. 

The  days  and  the  weeks  passed  by,  and  at  last  Thanks- 
giving time  came.  Mother  started  to  make  the  pies  for  the 
dinner.    She  cut  up  the  big,  yellow  pumpkin. 

But  when  she  looked  into  the  molasses  jug  she  found  that 
it  was  empty,  not  a  drop  was  there. 

1  Adapted  from  a  story  found  in  "Worth  While  Stories  for 
Every  Day,"  by  Evens.     Published  by  Milton  Bradley  Company. 


62  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

"  Oh,  my !  What  shall  we  do  ?  There  is  no  molasses  to 
make  the  pies,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  I  will  go  and  get  some  from  the  store,"  said  John. 
Then  he  took  the  jug  and  started  off  through  the  woods. 

Now  it  was  quite  late  in  the  afternoon,  but  what  would 
Thanksgiving  be  without  mother's  pies?  John  trudged  on 
till  he  reached  the  store,  and  the  storekeeper  filled  the  jug; 
then  John  started  off  for  home. 

He  had  not  gone  far  when  it  began  to  snow,  and  the  gray 
clouds  looked  very  threatening.  The  wind  blew  the  flakes, 
and  soon  the  paths  were  covered.  John  looked  this  way  and 
that — and  then  he  chose  the  wrong  road. 

How  strange  everything  looked.  The  jug  was  so  heavy. 
And  he  was  lost. 

Presently  John  heard  a  crackling  sound  amongst  the 
branches.  He  turned,  and  there  stood  a  tall  Indian  with 
a  gun. 

"  Oh,  I  am  lost !  Please  take  me  home  !  "  and  John  began 
to  cry.    He  was  afraid  of  the  big  Indian  with  the  gun. 

The  Indian  picked  him  up,  put  him  over  his  shoulder,  and 
carried  him  to  a  camp  fire  near  a  tent. 

An  Indian  woman  with  a  papoose  was  sitting  there.  She 
looked  earnestly  at  John  for  a  minute,  then  she  rose  and 
said  a  few  words  to  the  tall  Indian  man. 

The  Indian  grunted  and  smiled,  then  he  lifted  John  up  to 
his  shoulders  again,  took  his  jug,  and  tramped  all  the  way 
through  the  woods  to  John's  home.  He  set  John  on  the  door- 
step and  said :  "  My  squaw  and  my  papoose  you  helped  last 
summer.  Me  have  thanksgiving  here,"  and  he  touched  his 
heart.    Then  he  went  oft*  into  the  woods  again. 

And  don't  you  think  that  little  boy  said  a  prayer  of 
thanksgiving  to  God  that  night  before  he  went  to  sleep? 

A  Thanksgiving  Service 
Song 
"  Praise,"  from  "  Carols." 

Reading  or  Recitation 
"  While  I  live  will  I  praise  Jehovah : 
I  will  sing  praises  unto  mv  God  while  I  have  any  being." 

—Psalm  146:2. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  63 

"  In  my  distress  I  cried  unto  Jehovah, 
And  he  answered  me."  .^^  . 

—Psalm  120:1. 

Song 
"  Thanks  for  Daily  Blessings,"  from  "  Song  Stories  for 
the  Sunday  School." 

Re:ading  or  Recitation 

"  O  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah  ;  for  he  is  good." 

^  —Psalm  136:1. 

"  My  help  cometh  from  Jehovah,  who  made  heaven  and 
earth."— Psalm  121 :2. 

(The  children  should  learn  many  of  these  praise  verses 
from  The  Psalms.  Correlate  them  with  this  theme,  and 
teach  them  thoroughly  and  understandingly.) 

Suggested  Activities 

The  learning  of  several  of  the  verses  used  in  the  above 
Thanksgiving  Service.  Reward  the  children  who  make 
special  effort  and  succeed,  by  placing  a  gold  star  beside  their 
names  on  the  blackboard  or  by  giving  some  little  gift. 

Make  a  simple  Bible  bookmark  from  cardboard.  This 
may  be  decorated  by  a  simple  drawing  of  fruit  or  vegetable 
suggesting  God's  gift  at  autumn  time.  On  the  reverse  side 
have  the  children  copy  Psalm  136:1.  Let  the  children  give 
the  finished  gift  to  father,  to  mother,  or  to  some  shut-in 
friend.  Many  such  simple  drawing  problems  may  be  con- 
ducted successfully  if  you  will  familiarize  yourself  with  the 
pupil's  work  in  drawing  and  manual-training  in  the  secular 
schools. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

REVIEW 
Dramatization  of  the  Story  of  Noah  and  the  Ark 

Me:mory  Ve:rse:s 

"  Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
Whereof  we  are  glad." 

—Psalm  126:3. 

"  O  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah ;  for  he  is  good." 

—Psalm  107:1a. 

Th]^  Te:ache:r's  Preparation 

The  little  exercise  called  dramatizing  has  been  found  to 
be  of  real  educational  value  in  the  secular  schools,  and,  with 
proper  limitations,  we,  also,  may  make  excellent  use  of  it. 
Children  like  to  act  out  their  stories,  and  a  number  of  those 
which  we  have  been  telling  lend  themselves  admirably  to 
this  treatment.  A  story  which  the  pupils  dramatize  becomes 
vividly  alive  and  real  to  them. 

Of  course  the  story  must  be  thoroughly  known  and  under- 
stood and  it  must  be  especially  pleasing  to  the  pupils,  before 
the  exercise  is  attempted.  The  Review  Lesson  will  be  an 
excellent  place  to  use  this  form. 

It  is  not  necessary  or  wise  to  have  many  stage  accessories ; 
the  dramatization  should  be  spontaneous,  and  as  much  as 
possible  the  work  of  the  children  themselves.  They  should 
be  so  well  acquainted  with  the  story,  and  so  thoroughly 
alive  to  the  action  that  they  themselves  suggest  motions, 
dialogue,  and  setting.  If  they  so  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the 
exercise  the  story  will  be  a  reality  to  each  of  the  small  par- 
ticipants. Suggestions  and  dialogues  for  two  dramatizations 
are  given :  "  The  Story  of  Noah  and  the  Ark,"  and  "  The 
People  of  Israel  Saved  at  the  Red  Sea." 

64 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  65 

The  Story  of  Noah  and  the  Ark 

General  Directions :  The  chairs  used  in  the  Sunday-school 
room  will  form  very  creditable  material  with  which  to  con- 
struct the  "  ark."  They  may  be  placed  side  by  side,  with 
one  chair  at  each  end  to  suggest  a  boat.  The  children's 
imagination  will  supply  the  rest. 

Four  boys  may  be  chosen  to  represent  Noah  and  his  three 
sons.  These  children  should  be  those  of  your  class  who 
show  the  most  initiative  and  are  the  most  active.  The  others 
of  the  class  may  represent  the  remainder  of  Noah's  family 
and  the  animals. 

Part  I 

(Noah  and  the  three  sons  talk  together  as  they  build  the 
ark.) 
Noah  (looking  up  toward  the  sky)  :  "  It  is  a  clear  day,  my 

sons  ;  let  us  work  hard  in  the  building  of  our  boat.    Help 

me  to  carry  this  big  timber.  Ham.    It  is  long  and  heavy, 

too  heavy  for  an  old  man  to  lift  alone.     But  you  are 

young  and  strong.     My  good  sons,  what  a  help  you  are 

to  me  and  to  your  mother  !  " 
Ham  :  "  Where   does   it  go,   father  ?     You   only  have  the 

measure."      (Have  the  pupil  representing  Ham  draw 

forward  a  chair.) 
Noah  :  "  Here,  son.     I  have  been  told  just  the  length  and 

just  the  width."     (They  hft  together.)    "  Here  is  the 

place  for  that  timber." 
ShKm  :   (drawing   another  chair   to   the    father):  "Where 

does  this  piece  go,  father  ?  " 
Noah  :  "  That  fits  in  here,  son." 
Japhe:t  :  "  The  boat  is  growing  bigger,  father." 
Noah  :  "  Yes,   son,  a  little  larger  every  day.     Place  that 

timber  here,  Japhet." 
Ham  :  "  The  neighbors  have  been  laughing  at  our  work, 

father.     They  do  not  think  we  show  much   sense  in 

building  a  boat  where  there  is  no  water." 
Noah  (speaking  gravely)  :  "  Ah,  my  sons,  they  have  indeed 

scorned  our  work.    But  God  has  bidden  me  to  build  the 

ark,  and  we  will  obey." 


66  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

JaphET  :  "  Where  does  this  go,  father  ?  " 

Noah  :  "  Here,  my  son.    A  flood  will  surely  come.    God  is 

angry  with  the  wicked.     He  has  said  that  evil  shall  be 

washed  away  from  the  earth,  to  make  it  clean  again." 
Shem  :  ''  Here  is  another  beam." 
Noah  :  "  The  ark  will  be  firm  and  tight.     There  are  to  be 

rooms  for  the  animals  in  it.     It  is  to  be  daubed  with 

pitch  to  make  it  water-tight.    There  is  to  be  a  window 

and  a  door." 
Shem  :  "  What  shall  we  take  into  the  ark  ?  " 
Noah:  "Two  of  every  living  thing:  two  of  every  beast; 

two  of  every  bird ;  two  of  every  creeping  thing." 
Ham  :  "  Can  we  keep  them  alive  ?  " 
Noah  :  "  We  are  commanded  to  take  food  enough  for  all. 

There  is  much  work  ahead  of  us,  my  sons." 
Japhet  :  "  We  shall  help  you,  father." 

(All  work  till  the  boat  is  finished.) 
Noah  :  "  Our  work  is  finished.    We  have  done  all  that  has 

been  commanded  us  to  do." 


Part  H 

Noah  (coming  out  of  his  house  and  looking  into  the  sky)  : 

"  The  storm  clouds  are  gathering.    Wife,  come  with  me 

and  look.     Come,  children !  "   (All  gather  about  Noah 

and  look  up  into  the  sky.) 
ShKm  :  (holding  up  his  hand)  :  "  A  drop  of  rain  has  fallen 

on  my  hand." 
Ham  :  "  The  wind  is  rising !     How  it  rocks  the  branches  of 

the  trees !  " 
One  of  the  Daughters-in-Law  :  "  See  that  olive  tree  bend 

in  the  wind  ?  " 
Another   Daughter-in-Law  :  "  The    lambs    are    afraid ! 

Poor  things !  " 
The  Youngest  Daughter-in-Law  :  "  I  am  afraid,  Father 

Noah !  " 
Noah  :  "  Fear  not,  daughter.    We  are  safe,  quite  safe.    God 

has  promised  to  take  care  of  us.     Remember  how  he 

told  us  to  build  the  ark,  and  we  obeyed.    Fear  not." 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  67 

Shkm  :  "  The  rain  is  falling  in  torrents,  now,  father." 
Noah  :  "  It  is  even  so,  my  sons.    Let  us  gather  into  our  ark 

of  safety.     We  will  lead  the  gentle  and  tender  animals 

into  their  rooms.     Indeed,  we  will  take  them  all  in  as 

God  commanded.     Let  us  get  to  work,  for  the  Flood 

is  upon  us." 
Japhkt  :  "  We  will  help  you,  father." 
Noah  :  *'  Two  of  every  kind;  two  of  the  beasts ;  two  of  the 

birds ;  two  of  every  creeping  thing." 

(Noah  and  his  sons  muster  in  the  "  animals  "  and  seat 
them  in  the  chairs.) 
Daughte:r-in-Law  :  "  Here  are  the  little  sheep,  father." 
Daughtkr-in-Law  :  "  Here  is  a  dove." 

(After  all  are  in  Noah  speaks.) 
Noah  :  "  Come  in,  my  sons,  and  we  will  close  the  door." 

(Note::  Let  the  children  representing  the  family  care  for 
the  *'  animals,"  and  watch  the  rain.  The  child  impersonating 
Noah  may  pretend  to  send  out  the  raven,  then  the  dove. 
Let  him  add  to  the  dialogue.  This  can  be  done  with  the 
help  of  the  teacher.) 
Noah   (looking  at  a  distance)  :  "  The  dove  has  not  come 

back,  my  children.     She  has  found  a  tree  to  build  her 

nest.    The  Flood  is  over.    We  may  now  leave  the  ark. 

We  may  go  and  take  the  animals." 

(All  leave  the  ark  and  look  about.) 
Ham  :  "  How  good  it  feels  to  set  foot  on  the  earth  again." 

(Stamps.) 
She:m  :  "  How  sweet  the  air  is!  " 
Japhkt  :  *'  How  glad  we  all  should  be  to  be  safe  and  well 

after  the  dreadful  Flood." 
A  Daughter-in-Law :  "The  animals  are, glad.     See  them 

nibble  the  grass  !  " 
Another  Daughter-in-Law  :  "  There  is  the  sheep  that  I 

brought  into  the  ark.    See  how  happy  it  is  !  " 
Youngest  Daughter-in-Law  :  "  I  wonder  where  the  little 

dove  has  gone?  " 
Noah's  Wife  :  "  We  should  be  very  grateful  to  God,  dear 

children.    It  is  he  who  has  cared  for  us." 
Ali.  (looking  upward)  :  "  Oh,  look !    How  beautiful !  " 


68  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

Noah  :  "  It  is  a  rainbow,  a  sign  of  God's  promise  that  there 
never  shall  be  a  flood  over  the  whole  earth  again,  to 
destroy  all  people.  This  is  the  beautiful  sign  of  God's 
promise !  Come,  my  children,  let  us  sing  praises  to  our 
God  who  has  kept  us  in  safety." 

Part  III  (By  the  whole  class) 

All  :  "Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
Whereof  we  are  glad." 

—Psalm  126 :3. 

"  O  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah ;  for  he  is  good." 

—Psalm  107:1a. 

Song  :  The  praise  song  which  the  children  like  the  best. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

REVIEW 

Dramatization  of  the   "  Story  of   the   People  of   Israel 
Saved  at  the  Red  Sea." 
Exodus  14:5-31 ;  15:1,  2,  20,  21 ;  Psalm  50:23a. 

Memory  Verses 

"  Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us. 
Whereof  we  are  glad." 

—Psalm  126:3. 

*'  O  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah ;  for  he  is  good." 

—Psalm  107:1a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Reread  the  directions  given  for  the  preceding  lesson. 
Remember  to  keep  the  action  of  the  lesson  spontaneous,  and 
do  not  attempt  to  use  much  stage  setting.  The  children's 
imagination  will  supply  all  deficiencies  if  you  manage  the 
lesson  successfully.  Let  them  suggest  dialogue  and  inci- 
dents, you,  of  course,  keeping  close  to  the  story  facts  and 
guiding  all  aright.  A  thorough  review  of  the  story  is  ab- 
solutely necessary.  If  this  is  done,  the  children  will  in 
imagination  see  each  event  as  a  reality. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  69 

The  People  of  Israel  Saved  at  the  Red  Sea 

General  Directions:  One  corner  of  the  room  may  repre- 
sent the  land  of  Egypt.  The  children  will  be  more  competent 
to  act  out  the  little  scenes  if  they  have  been  shown  some  of 
the  hieroglyphic  pictures  representing  the  Israelites  at  work 
on  the  making  of  bricks  and  the  many  other  pictures  giving 
the  various  phases  of  Egyptian  life,  such  as  a  group  of 
Israelites  making  bricks ;  an  overseer  urging  the  workers. 

Another  corner  may  represent  an  Israelitish  home,  where 
a  mother  and  two  children  are  working  about  the  simple 
duties. 

Part  I 

Mother  :  "  Father  will  be  coming  soon,  Joseph.  Go  to  the 
well  with  Sister  Esther  and  draw  some  water.  Carry 
the  big  water  jar  by  the  handles  carefully.  When  you 
come  home  you  may  help  me  to  get  the  supper." 

Joseph  :  "  Poor  father  will  be  tired  again,  will  he  not, 
mother  ?  " 

Esther  :  "  And  his  arm  will  hurt." 

Mother  (speaking  softly)  :  "  Yes,  the  overseer  struck 
father.  He  was  very  cruel,  for  father  worked  as  hard 
as  he  was  able  to  do." 

Joseph:  "We  will  be  back  soon,  mother."  (Children  pre- 
tend to  draw  the  water  and  return,  carrying  the  water 
jar  between  them.) 

Mother  :  "  My  good  children !  Now  Joseph  may  bring  me 
some  of  the  leeks  and  onions  from  the  garden,  and 
Esther  may  pick  a  flower  for  father.  I  will  cook  the 
meat  and  we  will  cut  one  of  the  sweet,  ripe  melons  that 
father  likes." 

Esther  :  "  Oh,  I  see  father  now !  Let  us  go  to  meet  him !  " 
(The  children  run  to  meet  the  child  who  takes  the  part 
of  the  father.) 

Mother:  "  Has  the  work  been  hard  to-day?  " 

Father  (shaking  head  sadly)  :  "  Harder  than  ever.  The 
overseers  make  us  gather  our  own  straw  for  the  bricks. 
How  long  must  we  suffer  ?  " 

Mother:  "  Our  God  has  promised  to  help  us." 


70  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Fathi:r  :  "  Yes,  and  Moses  has  been  before  Pharaoh.  To- 
day it  is  said  that  he  seemed  a  bit  more  wilhng  to  let  us 
go.  Our  God  has  promised  to  give  us  the  Promised 
Land  and  we  will  trust  him." 


Part  II 

(All  the  children  with  something  in  their  arms  ready  to 

march.    One  boy  represents  Moses,  another  Aaron  with  his 

rod,  another  Miriam  with  her  timbrel.) 

MosES :  "  The  time  for  which  we  have  waited  and  longed 
has  come.  This  night  we  depart  from  the  land  where 
we  have  been  slaves.  Our  God  is  truly  mightier  than 
Pharaoh.  He  is  stronger  than  all  the  kings  of  the 
earth.  Let  us  begin  our  journey." 
(All  begin  to  march  slowly.     This  may  be  accomplished 

by  walking  in  single  or  double  file  round  the  room  several 

times.    Presently  a  boy  may  blow  a  trumpet  made  by  rolling 

a  paper,  and  all  stop.) 

Oni:  of  the:  Pe:opIvE:  :  "  Oh,  the  sea !  " 

Another  :  "  There  is  the  sea !    How  shall  we  cross  over  ?  " 

MosES :  "  We  have  traveled  many  miles.    Our  little  children 

are  tired.     Let  us  pitch  our  tents  and  rest.     See!  the 

cloud  that  has  led  us  is  still.     Our  God  will  help  us  to 

•cross."     (All  work  with  a  will  to  set  up  camp.     Go 

through  imaginary  movements  of  putting  up  tents.) 

One  of  the  PeopeE:  "  Hark!    What  is  that  noise?  " 
(All  stop  to  listen.) 

Another  :  "  It  sounds  like  distant  thunder." 

Another  :  "  That  is  no  thunder.    It  is  the  sound  of  chariot 
wheels." 
(People  gather  together  more  closely.) 

Another  :  "  It  is  the  king !    It  is  Pharaoh !  " 

Another:  "  He  is  coming  after  us !"   (People  show  alarm.) 

Another  :  "  He  is  sorry  he  has  let  us  go !  " 

Another  :  "  He  wants  us  back  to  make  his  bricks  and  build 
his  buildings  and  serve  him  at  dinner,  and  take  care  oi 
his  horses  and  wash  his  clothes  and,  and  " 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  71 

One:  of  the:  Gardeni^rs  :  "  And  to  weed  his  garden,  grow 
his  vegetables  and  melons  and  fruits !  " 

Anotiikr  :  *'  The  overseers  will  beat  us  harder  than  ever !  " 

Se:vi:rai.  :  "  We  cannot  get  away !  " 

Anothkr  :  "  We  might  better  have  stayed  in  Egypt.  We 
shall  have  to  work  harder  than  ever  when  we  get  back." 

Another:  "Yes,  yes,  we  might  better  have  stayed! 
Pharaoh  will  punish  us  cruelly  for  running  away !  " 

MosKS:  '*Hark!  Listen!  Remember  who  brought  you 
from  the  land  of  Egypt!  You  are  God's  children,  and 
he  has  promised  to  take  care  of  you.  He  is  leading  us. 
He  will  show  us  the  way.  We  shall  be  saved  from 
Pharaoh  this  night.  Behave  yourselves  like  men! 
Gather  together  your  baggage!  Be  ready  for  the 
march!  See,  the  bright  cloud  is  moving!  Let  us  go 
forward  to  the  sea !  God  is  about  to  do  a  wonderful 
thing  for  us  !  " 

(Moses  stretches  out  his  rod.) 
Moses:  "Forward    over    this    path    which    has    appeared 
through    the    water!      Forward!      You    will    not    be 
drowned !  " 

(The  people  march  as  through  a  narrow  path.) 
One  oe  the  PeopeE  :  "  Pharaoh  is  following !    He  is  com- 
ing through  the  sea  !  " 

Moses:  "Courage!  The  king  will  not  catch  us!  See! 
Even  now  the  shore  is  before  us !  Come,  let  us  gather 
together  on  the  dry  land !  We  are  all  safe  !  " 
(Moses  stretches  his  rod  over  the  waters.) 
"  Behold  !  The  waters  are  closing  together  again !  The 
sea  has  rolled  back  to  its  place.  The  rumbling  of  the 
chariot  wheels  cannot  be  heard.  God  has  saved  us  from 
danger !    How  great  is  our  God  !  " 

The  PeopeE  :  "  How  good  is  our  God !  " 

MosEs :  "  Our  God  is  greater  than  all  kings !     Let  us  give 
thanks  and  praise  !  " 


Part  HI 
(Repeat  the  Praise  Exercise  of  the  preceding  lesson.) 


CHAPTER  IX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

WILLING  GIFTS  FOR  GOD'S  HOUSE 

Exodus  35  :4-29 ;  36 :4-7 ;  I  Corinthians  29 :6-9 

Memory  Verse 

**  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." — II  Corinthians  9:7b. 

The  TeachEr^s  Preparation 

We  take  pupils  a  step  further  with  a  new  theme,  "  Love 
Shown  by  Giving,"  and  develop  the  fact  that  not  only 
through  prayer  and  praise  may  we  show  our  love  to  God, 
but  in  still  another  way — by  willing  gifts  for  his  service. 
We  know  that  all  impressions  are  deepened  by  some  ex- 
pression, some  activity,  and  so  this  lesson  is  in  proper 
sequence.  The  illustration  chosen  is  from  Exodus,  chapters 
35,  36,  where  we  are  given  the  beautiful  picture  of  the 
people  in  the  desert  opening  their  bundles  of  treasures,  the 
dearest  of  the  possessions  which  they  were  able  to  bring 
with  them  on  that  night  of  hurried  departure  from  Egypt,  or 
those  which  they  had  gathered  on  their  journey,  such  as 
the  skins  of  animals  and  beautiful  specimens  of  wood. 

They  had  come  as  far  as  Mount  Sinai,  where  they  had 
pitched  their  tents  in  obedience  to  God's  command.  They 
had  received  the  Ten  Commandments  and  "  sundry  laws," 
chapters  21  to  25,  which  God  gave  them  to  keep,  laws  which, 
if  obeyed,  would  make  them  fit  and  worthy  to  enter  the 
Promised  Land. 

Aim  to  awaken  in  the  children  a  keen  desire  to  show  a 
willingness  to  share  their  good  things  with  those  whom  they 
love  and  also  with  those  less  fortunate  than  themselves,  thus 
fitting  in  with  God's  plan  for  the  world. 

As  the  Christmas  season  approaches  or  on  other  special 
occasions,  we  may  find  ample  opportunity  for  giving.     The 

72 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  73 

teacher  will  want  to  help  the  children  to  make  a  gift  for 
father  or  for  mother;  she  will  also  wish  to  arrange  some 
form  of  social  service. 

We  are  to  aim  to  show  the  pupils  how  God's  children,  who 
have  received  such  benefits,  should  act.  We  frequently  re- 
peat these  lessons  concerning  the  correct  responses  with  the 
hope  that  the  right  reaction  will  become  habitual  and  in 
time  will  come  without  thought  or  effort. 

Introduction 

You  love  your  father  and  mother  very  dearly,  and  you  are 
very  happy  and  grateful  for  all  they  do  for  you,  of  course. 
And  every  boy  and  girl  says,  "  Thank  you  "  when  father 
comes  home  with  a  package  and  gives  it,  and  when  it  is 
opened  you  find  it  is  just  what  you  wanted — a  book,  or  a 
pair  of  skates,  or  a  doll,  or  a  new  pair  of  shoes,  or — oh, 
anything  that  father  and  mother  know  that  you  like  or  need 
to  make  you  happy  and  comfortable. 

But  most  boys  and  girls  are  not  satisfied  to  say  "  Thank 
you  "  and  never  do  anything  else.  What  do  they  like  to  do  ? 
(By  leading  questions  draw  out  the  fact  that  a  grateful  re- 
ceiver is  prompted  to  show  his  love  by  giving.) 

The  Story 

For  a  long  time  the  cloud  that  led  the  Israelites  had  not 
moved  forward,  and  the  tents  were  pitched.  Every  morning 
when  the  fathers  and  mothers  and  the  boys  and  girls  rose  up 
from  their  night's  sleep  and  went  to  the  tent  door,  they 
could  see  a  great,  tall  mountain.  They  never  had  tried  to 
climb  the  mountain,  for  God  had  told  them  not  to  do  this. 
But  Moses  had  climbed  it,  and  there  God  had  spoken  to  him 
and  given  him  messages  to  take  to  the  people.  The  people 
were  learning  to  love  God  more  and  more ;  they  were  trying 
harder  to  obey  him  and  to  keep  his  laws. 

They  were  grateful  for  what  God  had  done  for  them,  and 
they  wished  that  they  might  do  something  to  please  him. 

One  day  Moses  said,  "  You  may  do  something  for  God ; 
you  may  give  him  gifts  to  show  that  you  love  him." 

The  people  were  glad,  and  they  listened. 


74  PRIMARY   CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Moses  said:  "God  has  done  great  things  for  us:  he  has 
saved  us  from  Pharaoh ;  he  helped  us  to  cross  the  sea ;  he 
kept  us  from  the  king's  soldiers ;  he  gave  us  water  when  we 
were  so  thirsty ;  he  has  given  us  manna.  You  can  give  him 
gifts  to  show  your  love." 

The  people  asked,  "  What  can  we  give  ?  " 

Then.  Moses  said :  "  When  you  left  Egypt  you  did  not 
leave  empty-handed;  each  one  of  you  carried  a  bundle  con- 
taining his  dearest  treasures.  Each  one  of  you  now  has  a 
bundle  of  treasures  hidden  in  your  tent." 

The  people  nodded  and  said,  "  We  have."  Sarah's  mother 
remembered  her  gold  rings  and  some  of  the  other  mothers 
remembered  their  gold  chains  and  their  jewels. 

Some  of  the  fathers  had  saved  pieces  of  the  beautiful 
trees  that  grew  near  the  wells ;  and  some  of  the  others 
fathers  had  beautiful  furs  and  skins  of  animals. 

Some  of  the  mothers  had  brought  pieces  of  linen  and 
silk  that  they  had  had  in  their  homes  in  Egypt. 

Then  Moses  said :  "  You  can  make  a  beautiful  tent  for 
God,  and  he  will  come  and  dwell  among  us.  We  shall  not 
be  able  to  see  his  face ;  but  we  shall  know  that  he  is  with  us ; 
he  will  dwell  in  our  midst." 

Then  Moses  told  what  a  splendid  tent  it  should  be ;  far, 
far  more  rich  and  costly  than  their  own  tents,  pitched  round 
the  mountain.  It  should  have  curtains  of  royal  purple  and 
fine  linen;  it  should  have  pillars  of  gold;  there  should  be  a 
golden  box  to  hold  the  stones  upon  which  were  written  the 
Ten  Commandments;  there  should  be  a  golden  candlestick 
and  lamps;  there  should  be  an  altar  for  sacrifices;  there 
should  be  dishes  of  brass  and  dishes  of  gold  and  silver; 
there  should  be  a  wonderful  curtain  at  the  door.  It  was  to 
be  called  the  tabernaci^e:  (write  the  name  upon  the  black- 
board), and  was  to  be  their  church. 

"We  can  go  within  it  and  worship  God,"  said  Moses. 
"You  have  the  things.  Go  to  your  bundles  and  look  them 
over.  All  who  have  willing  hearts  come,  bring  an  offering. 
Give  what  you  have,  and  give  with  willing  hearts." 

The  people  went  to  their  tents ;  they  opened  their  bundles. 
Everyone  gave  something,  and  gave  gladly  with  a  willing 
heart  until  at  last  there  was  more  than  enough  to  make  the 
beautiful  tent  for  God. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  75 

Sugge:ste:d  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Learn  the  following  memory  gem : 

"  What  can  I  give  him, 
Poor  as  I  am? 
If  I  were  a  shepherd 

I  would  bring  a  lamb, 
If  I  were  a  Wise  Man, 

I  would  do  my  part- 
Yet  what  can  I  give  him? 
Give  him  my  heart." 

— Christina  Rossktti. 

Make  a  Bible  bookmark. 

Copy  a  praise  verse  upon  it.    Give  to  some  friend.    Make 
up  a  class  basket  of  delicacies  for  some  shut-in. 

A  Sunday  School  Song  to  Teach 

"  Little  Children,  Come  and  Bring,"  from  "  The  Primary 
and  Junior  Hymnal,"  No.  15L 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

LOVE  SHOWN  BY  GIVING 

II  Corinthians  8:8-12;  9:7,  8,  12 

Memory  Verse 

"  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." — II  Corinthians  9:7b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

tet  us  aim  to  make  clear  to  the  children  the  fact  that  they 
themselves  can  show  their  love  by  gifts,  and  that  these  gifts, 
even  though  small,  are  sometimes  means  of  bringing  much 
happiness  into  the  lives  of  others.  Paul  reminds  us  in  his 
Second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  that  "  if  the  readiness  is 
there,  it  is  acceptable  according  as  a  man  hath,  not  accord- 
ing as  he  hath  not."  There  are  very  many  beautiful  stories 
in  literature  that  are  by  rights  the  property  of  the  children 


76  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

which  may  be  used  to  help  illustrate  those  great  themes,  and 
we  should  search  to  find  them  and  fit  them  in  with  our 
scheme.  To-day  we  may  adapt  the  story  of  Browning's 
"  Pippa  Passes."  The  little  girl  had  but  one  day  for  her 
own,  one  holiday,  and  she  spent  it  in  giving  what  she  could — 
her  song.  Through  it  she  shows  her  love  to  God,  and  helps 
all  who  hear  her.  Teach  Pippa's  song.  Also  teach  some 
lovely  spring  song  with  a  message  which  the  children  may 
sing  at  home  or  for  others. 

Pippa  Passes 

Pippa  was  not  a  rich  little  girl;  indeed,  she  was  quite 
poor,  for  she  had  to  work  in  a  silk  mill  all  day  long.  But 
as  she  listened  to  the  burr,  burr  of  the  machinery  and  wound 
the  bright-colored  silk  on  the  spools,  she  would  say  to  her- 
self:  **  My  holiday  is  coming!  My  holiday  is  coming!  I 
soon  shall  have  a  whole,  long  day  for  myself !  " 

After  the  long  day  was  over  and  she  went  to  bed  at  night 
she  would  pray  to  God  to  give  her  a  bright,  sunny  day  for 
her  holiday,  the  one  day  in  all  the  year  that  was  all  for 
herself. 

Day  after  day  she  worked  on.  Sometimes  great  ladies 
with  beautiful  gowns  passed  by  and  Pippa  would  say  to  her- 
self, "  I  helped  to  make  those  lovely  dresses,"  and  she  was 
proud  of  the  mill  and  of  her  work. 

At  last  Pippa's  holiday  came;  she  jumped  from  bed  and 
peeped  out  of  the  window. 

"  Oh,  it  is  going  to  be  a  sunny  day !  My  holiday  is  going 
to  be  a  sunny  day !  "  and  she  clasped  her  hands  happily. 

She  began  to  sing  as  she  dressed,  and  because  she  was  so 
thankful  for  her  day  these  were  the  words  of  her  song : 

"  The  year's  at  the  spring 
And  day's  at  the  morn; 
Morning's  at  seven; 
The  hillside's  dew-pearled, 
The  lark's  on  the  wing; 
The  snail's  on  the  thorn, 
God's  in  his  heaven — 
All's  right  with  the  world!" 

She  even  hummed  her  happy  little  song  as  she  ate  her 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  11 

breakfast,  and  when  she  went  out  into  the  street  of  the 
little  village  she  still  was  singing  happily. 

"  Here  comes  Pippa !  "  said  people  as  they  passed.  *'  Bless 
her  for  her  dear  little  song !  " 

Presently  she  drew  near  a  window.  Within,  a  poet  was 
trying  to  write  a  song,  but  he  was  not  succeeding  very  well — 
the  music  didn't  suit  him,  and  the  words  were  poor.  His 
face  was  all  drawn  up  in  a  pucker. 

Pippa  passed,  singing  her  song.  The  wrinkles  left  his 
brow;  he  Hstened. 

"  The  year's  at  the  spring 
And  day's  at  the  morn; 
Morning's  at  seven; 
The  hillside's  dew-pearled, 
The  lark's  on  the  wing; 
The  snail's  on  the  thorn, 
God's  in  his  heaven — 
All's  right  with  the  world!" 

"  Dear  child,  she  has  given  me  a  thought !  I  can  do  bet- 
ter than  this !  "  and  he  turned  to  his  work  again  and  wrote 
a  song  which  was  sweeter  than  any  he  ever  had  written 
before. 

"  Here  comes  Pippa  !  "  cried  some  children,  and  they  began 
to  dance  to  the  song  that  Pippa  sang  for  them. 

Then  she  passed  by  a  sick  man's  window. 

"  The  year's  at  the  spring 
And  day's  at  the  morn; 
Morning's  at  seven; 
The  hillside's  dew-pearled, 
The  lark's  on  the  wing; 
The  snail's  on  the  thorn, 
God's  in  his  heaven — 
All's  right  with  the  world!" 

sang  Pippa. 

The  sick  man  listened.  "  Pippa  is  passing  by !  "  he  ex- 
claimed, and  he  forgot  his  pain  as  he  said,  "  Pippa's  song  has 
given  me  courage  to  try  to  get  well  again !  " 

A  lame  man  heard  her.  '*  Pippa's  song  makes  me  want  to 
throw  away  these  crutches  I  "  he  exclaimed — and  he  tried 
to  walk. 


78  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

A  blind  man  heard  and  said,  "  I  wish  that  I  could  catch 
that  beautiful  song!  " 

Pippa  passed  along,  and  by  and  by  she  went  beyond  the 
village,  out  into  the  country.  Some  men  were  building  a 
castle.  A  young  man  was  making  the  steps.  He  was  dis- 
couraged. "  I  wish  I  could  do  some  great  work,"  he  sighed, 
"  something  greater  than  just  making  steps  for  people  to 
walk  upon." 

Pippa  passed,  and  sang  her  song.  The  young  man  listened, 
and  the  discontented  look  left  his  face. 

"  The  little  girl  has  done  a  good  thing  for  me  to-day.  I 
am  ashamed  of  my  discontent.  I  will  go  back  and  work  as 
I  should." 

Still  Pippa  passed  on.  In  another  house  lived  a  man  who 
needed  to  do  a  thing  which  he  dreaded  to  do.  He  Hstened  to 
Pippa.  "  The  child  has  helped  me !  "  he  exclaimed,  and  he 
jumped  on  his  horse  to  go  do  a  great  deed. 

So  Pippa  passed  by,  singing  her  song  all  day  long,  and  at 
last  night  came — the  beautiful  holiday  was  over.  She  went 
home  and  made  ready  for  bed. 

"  I  should  have  done  something  besides  sing  all  day  long," 
she  sighed. 

But  I  think  that  the  little  gift  of  her  song  pleased  God 
more  than  anything  else  that  she  could  have  given  him. 
Don't  you? 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Continue  the  learning  of  the  song,  "  Little^Children,  Come 
and  Bring." 

Make  some  Christmas  gift  (bookmark,  calendar,  Christ- 
mas card  with  Bible  verses  copied  upon  them.) 

Collect  money  for  a  substantial  Christmas  basket  for  some 
poor  family,  to  be  ready  for  Christmas  Eve. 

Short  Service 
Song  :  "  Little  Children,  Come  and  Bring." 
CivASS :  "  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  79 

Re:citation  : 

"What  can  I  give  him, 
Poor  as  I  am? 
If  I  were  a  shepherd 

I  would  bring  a  lamb, 
If  I  were  a  Wise  Man, 

I  would  do  my  part — 
Yet  what  can  I  give  him? 
Give  him  my  heart." 

— Christina  Rossetti. 

Bl^ACKBOARD  READING: 

If  you  were  busy  being  glad, 
And  cheering  people  who  are  sad. 
Although  your  heart  might  ache  a  bit. 
You'd  soon  forget  to  notice  it. 

— Rebecca  B.  Fores  man  in  the  Continent.     ^ 


Prayer 


"  Dear  Father,  for  thy  tender  love. 
We  thank  thee,  we  praise  thee; 
We  lift  our  happy  songs  above. 
To  praise  and  bless  thy  name." 


CHAPTER  X 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

A  MOTHER'S  GIFT 

I  Samuel,  chapter  1 

Me:mory  VkrsiC 

"  As  long  as  he  liveth  he  is  granted  to  Jehovah." 

—I  Samuel  1 :28b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

The  history  of  the  Jewish  people  circles  about  the  house 
of  God,  and  the  three  Biblical  stories  under  the  theme, 
"  Love  Shown  by  Giving,"  tell  of  gifts  of  love  brought  there 
to  him.  The  story  for  to-day  tells  of  a  mother's  love  for 
her  baby  boy,  and  how  her  gratitude  to  God  for  the  gift  of 
her  child  prompted  her  to  "  lend  "  her  boy  to  the  Lord ;  how 
she  sacrificed  the  companionship  with  her  child,  her  dearest 
treasure,  because  of  her  greater  love  for  God.  It  is  a  beau- 
tiful story,  and  always  wins  the  attention  of  the  pupils. 

The  teacher  should  prepare  herself  with  a  good  back- 
ground of  the  history  of  the  times  if  she  would  tell  the 
story  well.  The  incident  occurred  during  that  period  in 
Jewish  history  when  the  rule  of  the  Judges  began  to  be 
wanting  in  effect  upon  the  nation.  Many  of  the  people  were 
becoming  careless  and  forgetful  of  God,  and  the  nation  as  a 
whole  was  in  a  lax  condition  of  obedience  to  the  Law.  Un- 
fortunately this  was  the  case  in  Eli's  own  family;  his  sons 
were  totally  unfit  characters  to  succeed  their  good  father  in 
his  priestly  office. 

A  new  leader  was  needed,  a  man  to  whom  the  people 
could  look  as  counselor,  judge,  and  example.  Samuel  was 
to  fill  that  difficult  position. 

Samuel  was  born  into  a  home  where  he  was  especially  de- 
sired and  welcomed.  His  father  was  Elkanah,  a  Levite,  who 
served  in  the  house  of  God.    His  mother  was  Hannah,  and 

80 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  81 

she  promised  God  in  her  prayer  that,  if  she  should  be  granted 
the  very  dear  wish  of  her  Hfe,  to  have  a  son,  she  would  give 
him  to  God  for  his  service.  Her  prayer  was  granted,  and 
when  the  child  was  born,  he  was  named  Samuel.  According 
to  her  promise,  when  the  child  was  still  -  ery  young,  she 
brought  him  to  the  tabernacle  as  a  gift  to  God.  She  ex- 
plained her  mission  to  Eli,  and  then  left  her  boy  to  be 
trained  for  his  future  work.  In  the  future  years  the  mother 
made  an  annual  visit  to  her  little  son,  each  time  bringing  him 
a  coat  which  she  had  made  with  her  own  hands. 

At  this  time  the  tabernacle  was  located  at  Shiloh,  and 
that  place  was  the  scene  of  great  religious  pilgrimages.  It 
was  pleasantly  situated  on  a  hill,  and  was  surrounded  by 
higher  hills  on  three  sides,  with  a  valley  toward  the  south. 
But  at  this  time  the  place  was  sinking  into  neglect. 

The  Story 

There  was  once  a  good  woman  who  lived  in  a  pretty  cot- 
tage with  her  husband.  Her  husband  was  kind,  and  gave 
her  gifts,  but  these  did  not  seem  to  make  her  happy;  she 
longed  for  a  little  son. 

"  Oh,  if  I  had  a  little  baby  boy,  I  should  be  the  happiest 
woman  alive,"  she  would  sigh. 

"  You  should  not  be  so  sorrowful,  Hannah,"  her  good 
husband  would  say.  "You  have  my  love."  But  Hannah 
could  not  be  comforted. 

One  day  she  went  with  her  husband  to  the  city  where  the 
tabernacle  was,  and  while  she  was  there  she  prayed  to  God 
to  give  her  a  baby  boy.  "  O  God,"  she  whispered,  ''  if  thou 
wilt  give  me  a  little  son,  I  will  give  him  back  to  thee,  to 
work  for  thee  all  the  days  of  his  Hfe." 

The  good  old  priest,  Eli,  saw  her  at  prayer,  and  when  she 
told  him  her  story,  he  said,  kindly,  "  Go  in  peace ;  and  may 
God  give  thee  thy  heart's  desire." 

Hannah  and  her  husband  went  home  again  and,  after  a 
time,  God  answered  her  prayer ;  a  little  boy  was  given  to  her, 
and  she  named  him  Samuel.  Hannah  thought  that  he  was 
surely  the  sweetest  little  baby  in  the  world. 

But  she  did  not  forget  her  promise,  and  when  little  Samuel 
was  old  enough  to  leave  her,  she  packed  his  clothes  and 
some  gifts,  and  took  him  to  God's  house,  the  tabernacle. 


82  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Such  a  happy- faced  woman  she  had  become!  Eli  did  not 
know  her,  her  face  was  so  changed. 

"  Do  you  not  remember  me  ?  "  she  asked.  "  I  am  the  sad 
woman  who  prayed  for  a  baby  boy.  God  answered  my 
prayer.  Here  is  my  Httle  child,  Samuel.  I  promised  to  give 
him  to  God,  and  I  have  brought  him  to  God's  house.  As 
long  as  he  lives,  he  belongs  to  God."  Then  the  mother  kissed 
her  little  Samuel,  and  went  away. 

But  she  did  not  forget  him,  oh,  no,  indeed !  She  thought 
of  him  every  day.  After  a  while  she  thought  of  a  beautiful 
thing  to  do :  she  made  him  a  little  coat  with  her  own  hands. 

"  Every  year  I  am  going  to  the  house  of  God  at  Shiloh," 
she  said  to  herself,  "  and  every  year  I  shall  make  a  little 
coat  and  take  it  to  my  Samuel." 

And  so  she  gathered  the  best  wool  that  she  could  find  and 
spun  the  cloth  with  her  own  hands.  I  am  sure  that  she  sang 
as  she  worked,  for  she  was  always  happy  now.  And  I  am 
sure  that  the  coat  fitted  him  nicely,  for  the  mother  tried  so 
hard. 

How  glad  she  was  when  the  coat  was  nearly  done!  She 
would  hold  it  up  and  say :  "  The  year  is  almost  over !  The 
coat  is  almost  finished !  I  will  soon  have  my  little  Samuel 
in  my  arms  again." 

In  the  house  of  God  Samuel  was  doing  his  work  every 
day.  The  priest,  Eli,  was  growing  to  be  an  old  man,  and 
was  so  glad  to  have  a  pair  of  young  feet  to  do  errands  for 
him,  a  pair  of  bright  eyes  to  see  for  him,  and  two  willing 
hands  to  help  him  with  the  day's  duties  in  God's  house.  Eli 
loved  Samuel. 

When  the  year  drew  near  its  close  Samuel  would  rise  out 
of  his  little  bed  and  say  to  himself :  **  My  mother  is  coming 
to-day;  or  if  she  does  not  come  to-day,  she  will  be  here 
soon! 

"  My  mother  is  coming  very  soon,"  he  would  say  to  EH. ' 

Then  I  am  sure  when  the  mother  did  come  Eli  must  have 
told  her  what  a  good  boy  Samuel  had  been  during  the  year ; 
how  well  he  did  the  work  in  God's  house ;  how  faithfully  he 
helped — always  up  early  to  open  the  doors,  always  well  pre- 
pared in  his  lessons. 

"  God  loves  our  little  boy !  God  loves  your  gift  to  him," 
he  would  say  to  the  mother. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  83 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Continue  the  making  of  the  Christmas  gifts  which  you 
have  planned  for  your  pupils  to  give. 

Buy  penny  copies  of  Reynold's,  The  Child  Samuel,  and 
give  to  each  child  to  mount.  Under  the  picture  or  upon  the 
other  side  have  the  children  write :  "  SAMUEL  WAS 
GIVEN  TO  GOD." 

Review  the  quotation :  "  What  Can  I  Give  Him  ?  " 

Obtain  small-sized  envelopes  and  let  the  children  them- 
selves ornament  them  with  a  decorative  seal  which  you  may 
buy  by  the  box  from  the  Dennison  Company.  Have  the 
pupils  write  upon  the  envelopes :  "  My  Gift  for  God's 
House."  They  may  bring  their  Sunday  collection  money  in 
these  envelopes. 

BiBEE  Verses  to  Be  Used  with  This  Chapter  and 
Chapter  XI 

"  I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me, 
Let  us  go  unto  the  house  of  Jehovah. 
Our  feet  are  standing 
Within  thy  gates." 

—Psalm  122:1,  2. 

"  Enter  into  his  gates  with  thanksgiving, 
And  into  his  courts  with  praise." 

—Psalm  100:4. 


I  had  rather  be  a  doorkeeper  in  the  house  of  my  God, 
Then  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness." 

—Psalm  84:10. 


"  Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy  house." 

—Psalm  84:4. 

Write  as  many  of  these  verses  upon  the  board  as  your 
class  can  learn,  and  teach  them.  Incorporate  them  into  your 
opening  and  closing  services.  Repeat  them  till  the  children 
know  them  thoroughly. 


84  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

A  FRIEND  OF  THE  FRIENDLESS 

Matthew  25  :31-40 

Memory  Vkrse 

"Go,  and  do  thou  Hkewise." — Luke  10:37. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

As  frequently  as  possible  we  plan  to  select  stories  and 
poems  from  the  literature  taught  the  children  in  the  secular 
schools,  giving  this  material  the  ethical  and  religious  touch 
which  it  is  often  impossible  to  give  there  for  obvious  reasons. 
The  children  will  bring  to  these  stories  a  preparedness  which 
renders  them  doubly  valuable  for  our  purpose. 

Have  you  ever  taught  a  beautiful  poem  to  a  class  of  chil- 
dren, and  have  you  noticed  the  gradual  surrender  of  mind 
and  attention  to  the  beauty  of  the  rhythm  and  repetition,  the 
meaning  of  new  words,  the  mental  pictures,  and  finally,  have 
you  watched  the  dawn  of  appreciation  as  the  inner  meaning 
begins  its  appeal?  If  you  have  not,  you  have  a  treat  in  store 
if  you  will  attempt  this. 

The  children's  classics  should  be  repeated  over  and  over 
again,  for  new  truths  can  always  be  found,  ethical  lessons 
can  be  discovered  by  the  teacher  who  really  wishes  to  search 
for  them. 

The  story  chosen  for  to-day  to  illustrate  the  Biblical  pas- 
sage and  the  theme  is  a  poem  by  Alice  Cary,  "  The  Wise 
Fairy."  Carefully  modulate  your  voice  in  the  rendering. 
Read  slowly  and  comment  freely  when  first  you  go  over  the 
poem.  Develop  the  unfamiliar  words.  Explain  difficult 
phrases  such  as  "  friend  of  the  friendless,"  "  her  heart  was 
in  her  hand,"  "  the  flax  of  their  distaffs,"  and  so  forth. 

Read  separate  lines  and  verses  over  and  over  till  the 
pupils  really  see  what  you  wish  them  to  see.  Talk  about  the 
mental  pictures.  Let  the  pupils  express  the  thoughts  in 
their  own  words.  Of  course,  in  doing  this  work  you  must 
keep  constantly  in  mind  the  fact  that  your  pupils  are  of  the 
Primary  grade  and  that  you  cannot  expect  more  than  Pri- 
mary children  can  give. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  85 

After  you  have  accomplished  this  preHminary  work  read 
the  whole  poem. 

The  Wise  Fairy:  a  Friend  of  the:  Friendless 

Once  in  a  rough,  wild  country, 

On  the  other  side  of  the  sea. 
There  lived  a  dear  little  fairy. 

And  her  home  was  in  a  tree, 
A  dear  little,  queer  little  fairy, 

And  as  rich  as  she  could  be. 


To  northward  and  to  southward, 
She  could  overlook  the  land, 

And  that  was  why  she  had  her  house 
In  a  tree,  you  understand, 

For  she  was  the  friend  of  the  friendless, 
And  her  heart  was  in  her  hand. 


And  when  she  saw  poor  women 

Patiently,  day  by  day. 
Spinning,  spinning,  and  spinning 

Their  lonesome  lives  away. 
She  would  hide  in  the  flax  of  their  distaffs 

A  lump  of  gold,  they  say. 


And  when  she  saw  poor  ditchers, 

Knee-deep  in  some  wet  dyke, 
Digging,  digging,  and  digging 

To  their  very  graves,  belike. 
She  would  hide  a  shining  lump  of  gold 

Where  their  spades  would  be  sure  to  strike. 


And  when  she  saw  poor  children 
Their  goats  from  the  pasture  take, 

Or  saw  thein  milking  and  milking. 
Till  their  arms  were  ready  to  break. 

What  a  splashing  in  their  milking  pails 
Her  gifts  of  gold  would  make! 

Sometimes  in  the  night,  a  fisher 
Would  hear  her  sweet,  low  call, 

And  all  at  once  a  salmon  of  gold 
Right  out  of  his  net  would  fall; 

But  what  I  have  to  tell  you 
Is  the  strangest  thing  of  all. 


86  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

If  any  ditcher,  or  fisher, 

Or  child,  or  spinner  old. 
Bought  shoes  for  his  feet,  or  bread  to  eat, 

Or  a  coat  to  keep  from  the  cold, 
Tlie  gift  of  the  good  old  fairy 

Was  always  trusty  gold. 

But  if  a  ditcher,  or  fisher, 

Or  spinner,  or  child  so  gay, 
Brought  jewels,  or  wine,  or  silks  so  fine, 

Or  staked  his  pleasure  at  play, 
The  fairy's  gold  in  his  very  hold 

Would  turn  to  a  lump  of  clay. 

— Alice  Cart. 

Di^voTioNAi,  Service; 

Song:  "Oh,  What  Can  Little  Hands  Do?"  Found  in 
"  The  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal." 

Concert  Recitation  :  "  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." 

Bible  Reading  by  the  Teacher 

Here  are  some  words  in  the  Bible  which  show  us  how 
glad  God  is  when  we  give  to  those  who  need.  We  are  told 
that  it  is  just  the  same  as  giving  to  him. 

"  For  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  me  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty, 
and  ye  gave  me  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in ; 
naked,  and  ye  clothed  me ;  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me ;  I 
was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me.  Then  shall  the  right- 
eous answer  him,  saying.  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  hungry, 
and  fed  thee  ?  or  athirst,  and  gave  thee  drink  ?  And  when  saw 
we  thee  a  stranger,  and  took  thee  in?  or  naked,  and  clothed 
thee?  and  when  saw  we  thee  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  came 
unto  thee?  And  the  King  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them, 
Verily  I  say  unto  you.  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of 
these  my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me." 

Prayer 

Heavenly  Father,  make  our  eyes  bright  to  see  those  who 
need  ;  make  our  hands  quick  to  do;  make  our  hearts  wilHng 
to  give,  because  we  know  that  is  the  way  to  give  to  thee. 
Amen. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  87 

SuGGEsTiiD  Activities 

Copy  the  Bible  verse:  "  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." 
Continue  the  making  of  Christmas  gifts. 
^  Devote  the  class  offering  to  some  special  form  of  charity, 
giving  the  children  full  opportunity  to  suggest  where  and 
to  whom,  and  permitting  them  to  understand  the  extent  of 
the  good  done,  so  that  they  may  be  glad  to  repeat  the 
service. 

^  Make  an  extremely  simple  dramatization  of  the  poem- 
giving  impromptu  work  entirely. 


LOVE  SHOWN  BY  GIVING 


CHAPTER  XI 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

GIVING  IN  GOD'S  HOUSE 
II  Kings  12:4-15;  II  Chronicles  24:4-14 
Memory  Vkrsiv 
"  Every  man  should  give  as  he  is  able." 

— Deuteronomy  16:17. 

The:  Ti:ache:r's  Pri:paration 

The  Kingdom  of  Judah  had  sunk  into  a  state  of  careless- 
ness and  forgetfulness  of  the  worship  of  God,  and  the 
Temple  was  in  a  dilapidated  condition.  Under  the  influence 
of  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  the  Tyrian  Jezebel  and  Ahab, 
king  of  Israel,  the  worship  of  Baal  had  become  as  prevalent 
as  it  had  been  in  the  sister  Kingdom  of  Israel. 

When  Ahaziah,  the  king  of  Judah,  was  killed,  there  was 
a  massacre  of  the  royal  family,  and  it  was  supposed  by 
Athaliah,  who  intended  to  become  the  queen,  that  all  the 
seed  royal  was  dead ;  but  the  little,  one-year-old  prince, 
Joash,  was  smuggled  away  by  his  aunt  and  his  uncle 
Jehoiada,  the  priest,  into  the  Temple  cloisters. 

Here,  in  God's  house,  he  lived  in  seclusion  till  he  was 
seven  years  old,  when  the  time  seemed  ripe  for  his  corona- 
tion. All  arrangements  were  made  by  his  uncle  Jehoiada, 
and  on  a  Sabbath  Day  when  the  people  who  still  remembered 
God  had  assembled,  the  priest  brought  the  child  before 
them,  told  them  the  story,  placed  the  crown  upon  his  head, 
and  then  the  Temple  courts  rang  with  the  exclamations, 
"  Long  live  the  king !  " 

Athaliah  was  seized  and  put  to  death  inside  the  Temple, 
and  the  worship  of  God  was  reestablished. 

But  the  Temple  needed  repairs,  and  when  the  young  king 
grew  older  it  was  no  wonder  that  the  condition  of  God's 
house,  his  home,  was  a  source  of  trouble  to  him.    To-day's 

91 


92  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

story  tells  of  his  methods  of  collecting  money  and  conduct- 
ing the  needed  repairs. 

The;  Story 

When  King  Joash  first  began  to  reign  over  his  country  of 
Judah,  he  was  only  seven  years  old.  The  beautiful  crown 
seemed  very  big  and  heavy  for  his  little  head. 

It  was  on  a  Sabbath  Day  and  his  uncle  Jehoiada  who  was 
a  priest  of  the  Temple  had  come  and  carried  him  out  to  a 
place  where  all  the  people  could  see  him.  Then  he  had  said 
some  very  solemn  words  to  the  people,  who  had  seemed  so 
surprised  to  see  the  child,  and  gently  gave  him  something 
which  he  said  was  the  Law. 

Soon  the  people  began  to  shout :  "  Long  live  the  king ! 
Long  live  the  king !  " 

Presently  there  was  a  loud  noise  outside  and  a  gayly 
dressed  woman  came  hurrying  in,  crying :  "  Treason ! 
Treason  !  "    She  looked  about  wildly  and  angrily. 

But  soldiers  w4th  spears  were  standing  on  guard.  They 
seized  the  woman  whom  some  one  called  the  wicked  queen. 
For  six  years  she  had  ruled  where  she  had  no  right  to  rule. 
They  took  her  away  and  out  of  the  building. 

The  building  was  God's  house,  the  Temple,  and  the  little 
boy  had  been  hidden  in  it  for  six  years.  His  uncle  and  his 
aunt  had  carried  him  there.  If  they  had  not  done  this,  the 
wicked  woman  who  had  made  herself  queen  would  have 
killed  him.  But  the  time  had  come  for  little  Joash  to  take 
his  place  on  the  throne. 

Of  course,  even  when  Joash  became  a  young  man,  he  re- 
membered all  about  the  Temple;  he  knew  all  about  the 
different  rooms.  It  made  him  sad  to  see  the  place  growing 
more  and  more  dirty  and  dusty;  more  old  and  crumbling. 
He  thought  about  it  a  great  deal,  and  the  more  he  thought 
about  it,  the  more  he  wanted  God's  house  to  be  made  fit  for 
his  people  to  worship  God. 

At  last  King  Joash  thought  of  a  plan.  The  high  priest 
was  the  same  good  old  man  who  had  taken  care  of  Joash 
when  he  was  a  little  boy,  hiding  in  the  Temple.  It  was  he 
who  had  taught  Joash  to  love  God's  house.  The  king  told 
his  plan  to  this  man,  Jehoiada.  He  told  it  to  some  of  the 
helpers  of  Jehoiada,  also,  and  they  all  promised  to  help  him. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  93 

Then  he  said  to  the  priests :  "  Take  the  money  that  the 
people  give,  to  mend  God's  house.  The  broken  places  in  the 
Temple  must  be  mended."  And  the  priests  were  to  go  to 
the  people  and  ask  for  money.  They  were  to  tell  what  it 
was  for. 

But  the  time  passed,  and  the  work  was  not  done.  The 
Temple  was  still  old-looking  and  broken.  The  king  called 
the  priest  to  him.  He  asked,  "  Why  do  you  not  mend  the 
Temple?" 

He  was  disappointed  because  his  plan  had  failed.  But 
soon  he  and  his  uncle  made  another  plan.  A  chest  was 
placed  by  the  entrance  of  the  Temple.  It  was  something 
like  a  big,  wooden  box.  The  good  priest,  Jehoiada,  bored  a 
hole  in  the  lid.  All  the  money  that  was  given  was  put  into 
the  box,  to  be  used  to  mend  the  Temple. 

The  people  liked  the  plan.  They  gave  a  great  deal.  By 
and  by  the  chest  was  full.  The  high  priest  and  another 
man,  the  king's  scribe,  took  the  money  out  and  counted  it. 
Then  they  put  it  into  bags. 

Then  the  people  began  to  fill  the  chest  again.  It  was 
filled  and  emptied  a  great  many  times,  for  the  people  were 
glad  to  give  money  to  mend  God's  house.  Soon  there  was 
enough  to  begin  the  work. 

When  the  money  was  counted  carefully,  it  was  given  to 
the  workmen.  Soon  the  work  of  mending  the  Temple  be- 
gan. Carpenters  were  busy,  masons  were  busy,  and  also 
the  men  who  hewed  the  stone. 

The  broken  places  in  the  Temple  were  mended.  Day  by 
day  God's  house  grew  solid  and  strong  and  beautiful  again. 

The  king  and  his  people  were  glad,  and  the  workmen  were 
faithful  and  honest. 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotional  Service 

(Have  the  pupils  memorize  the  following  verses  and  use 
them  repeatedly.) 

Class  :  "  I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me, 

Let  us  go  into  the  house  of  Jehovah." 
Girls  :  "  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." 
Boys  :  "  Freely  ye  received,  freely  give." 
Song  by  the  Class: 


94 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 


En  ©ffetiuG  Ser\)ice 


M.  Florence  Brown 

Andante 


Harder 


i^i 


"if 


p^m^^mm 


mp 

=^         ^         ^ 

■■    1 

..^__|        _|       _|       _,     ^_^      _l   ^ 

1    r  ■!      "1       m      d    "  -^''^^  H 

L  To 
2.  To 

our  heaven  -  ly 
our  heaven  -  ly 

— «(| — 

Fa- 
Fa  - 

ther,  Lit   -   tie     chil  -  dren 
ther,  These  our    gifts   will 

tig — ^-H 

bring 
bring; 

1^          ^ 

mf  , 


?■■ 


^=1=^ 


i 


Lov  -  ing  hearts  and       voic  -  es,        And     his  prais  -  es     sing. 
Glad  -  ly     now     we        of    -    fer       Treasures     to     our   King. 


Music  reprinted  from  "New  Educational  IMusic  Course,  Teacher's  Edition."     By  per- 
mission of  Giun  and  Company. 


Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Copy  one  of  the  verses  used  in  the  devotional  service. 

Decorate  an  envelope  with  a  Dennison  seal  for  next  Sun- 
day's offering,  and  copy  upon  the  envelope  the  text,  "  God 
loveth  a  cheerful  giver." 

Make  a  drawing  of  a  church,  using  only  an  outline  which 
suggests  the  shape. 

Plan  to  use  the  Sunday  offering  for  a  given  time  for  some 
small  gift  for  the  church  such  as  the  flowers.  This  can  be 
talked  about  in  the  week-day  session. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  95 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

LITTLE  GIFTS  AND  HOW  THEY  HELP 

Mark  12:41-44 

Me:mory  Vdrsi^ 

"  Every  man  shall  give  as  he  is  able." 

— Deuteronomy  16:17. 

The:  TE;AcnE:R's  Pre:paration 

Use  this  lesson  to  bring  the  theme  down  to  the  children's 
own  Hves.  Do  not  leave  on  their  minds  the  possibility  of  the 
conclusion  that  they  are  too  small  to  give  or  that  their  gifts 
are  insignificant. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  poor  widow's  mite,  and  Jesus'  com- 
ment upon  it. 

A  pleasant  little  story  to  illustrate  the  help  that  may 
come  from  a  small  gift  may  be  secured  from  the  adaptation 
of  the  fable,  "  The  Ant  and  the  Dove."  It  may  be  found  in 
its  original  form  in  Tolstoy's  "  Fables  for  Children." 

Introduction 

Kings  can  give  wonderful  gifts  if  they  want  to  do  so; 
rich  men  can  also  give  beautiful  gifts.  But  do  not  think 
that  they  are  the  only  people  who  can  give.  Sometimes  the 
tiniest  gift,  if  love  goes  with  it,  brings  as  much  joy  as  the 
gift  of  a  king  or  of  a  prince.  Jesus  told  us  that  when  he 
lived  upon  earth. 

One  day  Jesus  was  In  the  Temple.  He  was  tired,  and  he 
sat  down,  for  he  had  had  a  very  hard  day.  Many  people  had 
been  unkind  to  him. 

His  twelve  disciples  were  with  him.  The  place  where 
they  sat  was  called  the  treasury ;  in  the  treasury  there  were 
boxes  into  which  the  people  could  drop  their  money  gifts 
to  God. 

Jesus  sat  watching.  Now  would  come  a  rich  man  called 
a  Pharisee.  He  would  drop  in  his  money  with  a  great 
clank.  Then  another  man  would  come  and  drop  in  his 
money  with  a  bang,  and  he  would  look  about  to  see  how 
many  people  were  watching  as  he  put  in  his  gift. 


96  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

Many,  many  rich  men  passed  by,  taking  coins  from  their 
belts  and  moneybags.  But  each  man  made  a  great  show  of 
what  he  was  doing.  They  were  thinking  more  of  how  big 
the  people  would  think  their  gift  was  than  of  their  love  for 
God. 

Jesus  watched.  Presently  his  tired  face  grew  bright  and 
happy.  A  poor  widow  came  toward  one  of  the  boxes.  She 
quietly  dropped  in  her  gift.  It  was  only  two  mites — a  tiny, 
tiny  offering,  the  very  smallest  that  had  been  given.  It  would 
take  eight  mites  to  make  a  penny. 

Jesus  turned  to  his  disciples  and  said :  "  This  poor  widow 
has  given  more  than  all  the  rest.  They  gave  of  their  plenty. 
She  gave  from  her  want.    She  has  given  all  that  she  had." 

Jesus  knew  that  the  gift  of  the  widow  was  a  gift  of  love. 
A  gift  without  love  is  nothing. 


I  am  going  to  tell  you  another  story  about  a  little  gift 
in  order  to  show  how  much  good  a  little  gift  sometimes 
does. 

Thk  Story 

It  was  a  beautiful  day  in  summer.  The  little  brook  sang 
through  the  meadow,  *'  I'm  glad  I'm  alive  this  morning." 
The  leaves  of  the  apple  tree  by  its  bank  waved  gently  in  the 
bright  sunshine.  The  green  grass  dotted  with  wild  flowers 
made  a  soft  carpet  close  to  the  water's  edge. 

The  pretty  gray  dove,  which  had  a  nest  in  one  of  the 
branches  of  the  apple  tree,  cooed  softly,  "  This  is  the  hap- 
piest place  in  the  world  for  my  three  little  baby  birds !  " 

Down  in  the  hole  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  lived  a  little  ant, 
the  busiest  fellow  you  ever  did  see.  He  carried  load  after 
load  of  stores  to  the  wonderful  little  cave  which  he  had 
helped  to  dig  for  a  home. 

'*  I'm  glad  I'm  alive  to-day,"  he  said,  as  he  worked. 

Even  the  old  frog  who  had  lived  by  the  brook  for  many  a 
year,  croaked  in  a  loud  voice :  "  Ker-chonk !  You're  right ! 
This  is  the  best  place  in  all  the  world  to  live !  " 

Presently  the  little  ant  grew  thirsty,  for  he  had  worked 
very  hard.  "  I'll  go  to  the  brook  and  get  a  drink,"  he  said, 
and  he  did. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  97 

But  at  that  minute  a  very  frolicsome  wave  danced  up 
against  the  bank  and  washed  the  ant  into  the  water.  Poor 
fellow !  He  struggled  bravely,  but  the  wave  carried  him 
along,  and  he  was  almost  drowned. 

The  bright  eyes  of  Mistress  Dove  saw  the  accident. 
"  Coo !  Coo  !  Coo !  "  she  cried. 

Then  she  broke  off  a  small  branch  of  the  apple  tree.  It 
looked  something  like  a  tiny  boat.  It  was  all  that  she  could 
give.  She  threw  the  little  gift  boat  down  into  the  water,  just 
within  reach  of  the  poor  ant. 

Another  quick  struggle  and  Mr.  Ant  reached  the  leaf  boat 
and  climbed  upon  it.  The  breeze  wafted  him  safely  back  to 
the  shore. 

What  a  narrow  escape !  Could  anything  have  given  him 
more  help  than  the  little  green  boat,  the  gift  of  Mistress 
Dove? 

Suggestions  for  the  DkvotionaIv  Service 

A  Verse  to  Read  from  the  Blackboards  :  "  Be  ye  kind 
one  to  another." 

Verses  to  Recite  :  "  Freely  ye  received,  freely  give." 
"  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." 

A  Motto  for  the  Class  to  Learn  : 

"  Even  the  youngest,  humblest  child 
Something  may  do  to  please  the  Lord; 

Never,  never  a  day  should  pass, 
Without  some  kindness,  kindly  shown." 

Song  :  First  two  verses  of  the  song  given  in  the  preceding 
lesson. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Let  the  children  make  a  child's  illustration  of  the  story 
of  the  *'  Ant  and  the  Dove." 

Send  a  small  gift  to  a  child  who  is  shut  in  the  house  be- 
cause of  illness. 


GOD'S  BEST  GIFT 


CHAPTER  XII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  BABY  JESUS  IN  A  MANGER 

Luke  2:1-20 

Me:mory  Ve:rse: 

"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son." — ^John  3:16a. 

The:  Tkache;r's  Pre:paration 

Historical  Setting.  Herod  the  Great  was  king  of  the 
Jews,  and  his  capital  was  at  Jerusalem.  However,  he  was 
subject  to  Caesar  Augustus,  emperor  of  Rome,  who  was  at 
the  time  of  the  birth  of  Christ  in  the  twenty-seventh  year 
of  his  reign. 

Tax  notices  had  been  published  at  this  time,  and  it  was  the 
regulation  that  the  taxpayers  must  make  payment  at  their 
native  towns.  Hence  the  roads  were  full  of  travelers. 
Joseph  and  Mary  were  among  them,  on  their  way  from 
Nazareth  to  the  town  of  Bethlehem.  They  reached  Bethle- 
hem late,  and  found  the  inn  so  full  of  other  people  who  had 
come  upon  the  same  errand  that  they  could  find  no  lodging 
place  under  its  roof.  The  only  shelter  obtainable  was  the 
stable  of  the  inn  where  Josej^h  was  compelled  to  take  his 
tired  young  wife. 

Tell  the  Christmas  story.  Then  make  assignments  to  the 
different  members  of  your  class  for  the  devotional  service 
which  will  constitute  the  following  lesson.  Teach  as  much 
as  you  can  of  the  exact  Bible  story  as  given  in  Luke  2:1-20. 
Get  the  children  to  learn  some  of  the  verses  at  home ;  they 
will  not  find  the  first  portion  difficult.  Use  part  of  your 
session  to  teach  your  Christmas  music. 

The:  Story 
It  was  Christmas  time,  but  people  were  not  making  ready 

101 


102  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

for  it  the  way  they  have  been  doing  this  week.  Indeed,  no 
one  knew  anything  about  Christmas,  that  December  night  so 
long  ago. 

A  great  many  men  and  women  had  been  coming  to  the 
little  town  of  Bethlehem  all  day,  and  the  place  was  full. 
The  roads  had  been  crowded,  and  every  room  in  the  inn  was 
taken. 

Some  of  the  people  had  come  on  long,  long  journeys,  but 
they  were  not  gay,  happy- faced  travelers  such  as  those  who 
have  been  on  a  long  vacation  journey. 

The  great  ruler  of  the  land  had  told  them  that  they  must 
come  to  write  their  names  in  a  big  book,  and  pay  their  taxes. 
The  taxes  were  very  heavy  and  took  a  great  deal  of  the  poor 
people's  money.  They  talked  about  the  taxes  instead  of 
about  Christmas  gifts. 

Among  the  travelers  were  Joseph  and  Mary,  his  young 
wife.  They  had  come  from  their  home  in  Nazareth.  Mary 
rode  on  a  donkey,  and  Joseph  walked  by  her  side. 

Mary  was  very  tired  before  she  reached  the  town. 

"  Courage,  Mary !  Only  a  little  farther !  See,  there  is 
Bethlehem !  "  said  Joseph.  "  Soon  we  shall  reach  the  inn, 
and  there  you  shall  have  a  room  where  you  can  rest !  Cour- 
age, Mary !  " 

They  came  to  the  inn,  and  Joseph  knocked.  When  the 
innkeeper  answered,  he  asked  for  a  room. 

"  Room ! "  exclaimed  the  innkeeper  rather  roughly. 
"  Why,  there  is  not  a  room  left,  man !  Have  you  come  to 
pay  the  taxes  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Joseph.  "  Bethlehem  is  the  city  of  my 
fathers.  We  have  come  to  write  our  names  in  the  book, 
because  the  king  commanded  it." 

"  Well,  the  town  is  crowded  with  people  who  have  come 
on  the  same  errand.    There  is  not  a  room  left,"  said  the  man. 

Then  Joseph  told  him  how  tired  Mary  was ;  he  said  that 
he  himself  could  sleep  in  the  street,  if  need  be;  but  Mary 
must  have  a  resting  place,  and  he  begged  the  man  again  for 
a  place. 

"  There  is  no  room,"  repeated  the  man,  "  but  you  can 
go  to  the  stable  of  the  inn." 

So  Joseph  had  to  be  content.     He  led  the  donkey  round 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS  103 

to  the  stable  and  tenderly  lifted  down  his  tired,  young  wife 
and  took  her  into  the  stable.  Mary  was  glad  for  even  that 
rude  shelter,  and  for  the  bed  of  hay. 

Now  not  far  from  Bethlehem  some  shepherds  were  rest- 
ing and  keeping  watch  over  their  flocks  on  the  hillside. 
Presently  one  of  the  men  looked  up  into  the  sky  and  ex- 
claimed :  "  What  is  that !  See !  What  is  that  bright  light 
over  the  town?"  One  after  another  stood  up  and  looked, 
and  the  light  grew  so  bright  that  they  began  to  tremble  with 
fear.    They  never  had  seen  anything  like  it  before. 

"  What  has  happened  in  Bethlehem !  What  has  hap- 
pened !  "  exclaimed  the  frightened  shepherds  to  one  another. 

While  they  stood  gazing  at  the  sky,  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
appeared  and  said  to  them :  "  Do  not  be  frightened.  I  have 
come  to  bring  you  good  news  ;  oh,  joyful  news  !  I  have  come 
to  bring  good  news  to  all  people." 

Then  the  angel  continued :  "  Over  in  the  town  of  Bethle- 
hem a  little  Baby  has  been  born.  He  is  Christ,  the  Lord ;  he 
is  the  Saviour.  Here  is  the  way  you  shall  know  him :  You 
will  find  the  Baby  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a 
manger.    He  is  with  his  mother." 

Suddenly  a  host  of  angels  appeared  in  the  sky,  and  the 
shepherds  heard  them  sing  this  beautiful  song : 

"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
And  on  earth  peace  among  men  in  whom  he  is  well  pleased." 

When  the  song  was  finished,  and  the  angels  had  gone,  the 
shepherds  said  one  to  another,  *'  Come,  let  us  go  find  him." 

Then  they  hurried  to  Bethlehem,  and  went  to  the  place 
over  which 'the  light  of  the  brightest  star  rested.  It  was  a 
stable.  There  the  dear  little  Baby  had  been  born,  and  the 
mother  had  wrapped  him  in  soft  swaddling  clothes  and  laid 
him  in  a  manger,  for  it  was  the  only  cradle  she  had. 

What  a  bright  light  shone  in  that  humble  place!  The 
star  that  led  the  shepherds  made  it  light  outside,  but  the 
light  round  the  Baby  was  greater.  Indeed,  he  had  come  to 
be  the  Light  of  the  world.  I  think  the  shepherds  must  have 
had  to  shield  their  eyes  as  they  came  in  and  looked  down 
into  the  manger  cradle. 

They  stayed  with  the  Baby  a  while,  and  then  they  went 


104  PRIMARY   CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

away  singing  songs  that  were  the  first  Christmas  songs  that 
the  world  had  ever  sung.  They  went  away  praising  and 
thanking  God  for  the  Gift  of  his  Son.  And  to  everyone 
they  met  they  told  the  good  news. 

Sugge:sted  Activities 

Have  the  pupils  copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Have  the  pupils  copy  the  angels'  song  and  learn  it. 

Help  the  children  to  make  a  large  cardboard  bell  and  write 
upon  it  "  Good  News  to  All  People."  This  may  be  given  as 
a  Christmas  card  or  bookmark. 

Send  a  class  Christmas  postal  to  some  one  who  would 
especially  appreciate  a  Christmas  message.  More  than  one 
postal  may  be  sent  if  thought  best. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

CHRISTMAS 
Luke  2:1-20 
Me:mory  Vkrse 
"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son." — John  3  :16a. 

The:  Te^acher's  Pre^paration 

Make  this  lesson  a  real  Christmas  service  of  worship. 
Give  ample  time  to  help  the  children  to  become  familiar 
with  the  "  real "  Christmas,  what  it  means  to  the  world,  to 
them,  and  to  each  of  us.  Keep  this  time  for  the  Bible  story 
and  for  the  songs  and  recitations  that  are  among  the  classic 
thoughts.  They  are  old  hymns  and  old  verses,  yet  they 
seem  new  each  time  that  Christmas  comes  again.  These 
things  should  be  given  to  every  child,  and  it  is  for  us  to  give 
them,  to  pass  them  along. 

Keep  your  room  simply  decorated,  and  if  possible  have 
one  or  more  large  and  good  copies  of  the  Christmas  pictures, 
the  real  masterpieces. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  105 

The  music  of  one  little  Christmas  song  is  given  to  add  to 
the  program. 

The:  Wondkrfui.  Gift 
Song  (By  a  concealed  choir)  : 

"Silent  night!  Holy  night! 
All  is  dark  save  the  light, 
Yonder,  where  sweet  vigils  keep, 
O'er  the  Babe  who,  in  silent  sleep, 
Rests  in  heavenly  peace," 

Primary  Chii.d  Recitks  Clkarly:  *' And  there  were 
shepherds  in  the  same  country  abiding  in  the  field,  and  keep- 
ing watch  by  night  over  their  flock.  And  an  angel  of  the 
Lord  stood  by  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round 
about  them :  and  they  were  sore  afraid." 

Song  or  Rkcitation  : 

"  While  shepherds  watched  their  flocks  by  night. 

All  seated  on  the  ground, 
The  angel  of  the  Lord  came  down, 

And  glory  shone  around. 
'  Fear  not,'  said  he — for  mighty  dread 

Had  seized  their  troubled  mind — 
'  Glad  tidings  of  great  joy  I  bring 

To  you  and  all  mankind. 

"  *  To  you  in  David's  town  this  day. 

Is  born  of  David's  line, 
A  Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord, 

And  this  shall  be  the  sign: 
The  heavenly  Babe  you  there  shall  find 

To  human  view  displayed. 
All  meanly  wrapped  in  swaddling  bands, 

And  in  a  manger  laid.'  " 

Primary  Child  Recites  Clearly  :  "  And  the  angel  said 
unto  them,  Be  not  afraid ;  for  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tid- 
ings of  great  joy  which  shall  be  to  all  the  people :  for  there 
is  born  to  you  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  who 
is  Christ  the  Lord.  And  this  is  the  sign  unto  you :  Ye  shall 
find  a  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  and  lying  in  a 
manger." 


106  PRIMARY   CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Song  by  an  Olde:r  Child  or  by  a  Choir  : 

"  Hark!  the  herald  angels  sing, 

*  Glory  to  the  newborn  King; 
Peace  on  earth,  and  mercy  mild, 
God  and  sinners  reconciled!' 
Joyful,  all  ye  nations,  rise, 

Join  the  triumph  of  the  skies; 
With  the  angelic  host  proclaim, 

*  Christ  is  born  in  Bethlehem!' 
Hark!  the  herald  angels  sing, 

'  Glory  to  the  newborn  King.' " 

Recitation  by  Primary  Child:  "And  suddenly  there 
was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  praising 
God,  and  saying, 

Glory  to  God  in  the  highest. 

And  on  earth  peace  among  men  in  whom  he  is  well  pleased." 

Song  by  the  Primary  Children  :  "  Stars  of  Christmas 
Night." 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 


107 


Stars  of  Cbristmas  IRlgbt 

Lizzie  DeArmond  (primary!  /IDotlon  Song)  E.  S.  Lorenz 

Not  too  fast 


i^iili^i^^ii^SPJ 


n 


1.  ^  Twinkle,  ^  twinkle,stars  so  bright, 

2.  1  Twinkle,  Hwinkle,gleam  and  glow 

3.  ^Twinkle,  ^  twinkle;  can  you  tell 


l3-~^— 5-' 


We  are  glad  to  see  your  light. 
O'er  the  ^  fields  of  fro-  zen  snow, 
Of     the  Christ  we  love  so  well  ? 


m 


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ita:^ 


g 


r         T         f  r  r  ^        r 

Shin  -  ing  from  your  home  on  ^  high,    Lit  -   tie  jew-  els    of    the  sky. 
While  the  bells  so     gay  -  ly  ■*  chime.  King  -  ing     in  the  Christmas-time. 
Did     you  shine  up  -  on    the  ^  hay      Where  the  Ba  -  by    Je  -  sus  ^  lay  ? 


^Twinkle,Hwinkle, '  twinkle,  'twinklejhrough  the  Christmas  night!  'O'er  the  Tisions  bright. 


ili 


f^l^ 


m 


Copyright,  1906,  by  The  Lorenz  PuMishing  Company.     Used  by  permission. 
Motions  : — 1.  Make  twinkling  naotion  with  fingers  held  high.     2.  Point  up.     3.    Hold 
hands  out  at  face  level,  palms  downward.    4.  Make  riuging  motion  with  right  hand.    5.  Point 
down.    6.  Close  eyes,  fold  hands  and  lay  left  cheek  upon  them.    7.  Touch  right  eye  with 
fingers  of  right  hand.    8.  Hold  hands  up  and  look  up. 


108  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

Rkcitation  by  a  Primary  Child  :  "  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  the  angels  went  away  from  them  into  heaven,  the 
shepherds  said  one  to  another,  Let  us  now  go  even  unto 
Bethlehem,  and  see  this  thing  that  is  come  to  pass,  which 
the  Lord  hath  made  known  unto  us.  And  they  came  with 
haste,  and  found  both  Mary  and  Joseph,  and  the  babe  lying 
in  the  manger." 

Song:  "What  Child  Is  This?" 

Some:  Poems  To  Speak  About  the  Baby  Jesus 

"  Once  in  royal  David's  city 

Stood  a  lowly  cattle  shed, 
Where  a  mother  laid  her  Baby 

In  a  manger  for  his  bed; 
Mary  was  that  mother  mild, 
Jesus  Christ  her  little  Child. 

**  He  came  down  to  earth  from  heaven. 

Who  is  God  and  Lord  of  all, 
And  his  shelter  was  a  stable, 

And  his  cradle  was  a  stall: 
With  the  poor,  and  mean,  and  lowly. 
Lived  on  earth  our  Saviour  holy. 

"  And  through  all  his  wondrous  childhood 

He  would  honor  and  obey, 
Love  and  watch  the  lowly  maiden, 

In  whose  gentle  arms  he  lay; 
Christian  children  all  must  be 
Mild,  obedient,  good  as  he. 

"  For  he  is  our  childhood's  Pattern, 
Day  by  day  like  us  he  grew, 
He  was  little,  weak,  and  helpless, 

Tears  and  smiles  like  us  he  knew; 
And  he  feeleth  for  our  sadness, 
And  he  shareth  in  our  gladness. 

— Mrs.  Cecil  Frances  Alexander. 


A  Christmas  Prayer 

God  send  us  store  on  Christmas  Day 

Of  friends,  and  health,  and  mirth: 

And  bless  us  with  that  dream  alway 

That  blessed  the  world  on  Christmas  Day: 

"  Good  will,  and  peace  on  earth." 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  109 

So  sing  we  all  on  Christmas  Day- 
Old  songs  of  Christmas  cheer, 

God  grant  us  brave,  true  words  to  say; 

Yea!  help  us  live  some  better  way 
In  all  the  glad  new  year. 
—Copyright,  1917,  by  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 

From  Scribncr's  Magazine,  used  by  permission  of  the 

publishers  and  of  the  author,  Charles  W.  Kennedy. 

Se:kms  to  Me; 

Seems  to  me  the  stars  shine  brighter 

Christmas  night; 
Seems  to  me  the  snow  lies  whiter 

Christmas  night; 
That  the  solemn  trees  stand  straighter, 
And  the  frosty  moon  sets  later, 
And  the  hush  is  stiller,  greater, 

Christmas  night. 

Seems  to  me  sad  things  are  fewer 

Christmas  night; 
Seems  to  me  glad  things  are  truer 

Christmas  night; 
Seems  to  me  the  bells  ring  clearer 
From  their  steeples,  louder,  nearer — 
Seems  to  me  the  whole  world's  dearer 
Christmas  night. 
— Nancy  Byrd  Turner,  in  The  Youth's  Companion. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  author  and  the  publishers. 


no 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 


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A  -  sleep  in  the  hay. 
Till  morn  -  ing  is  nigh. 
To     live     with     thee  there. 


From  "A  Chriatmas  Program  for  Beginuers  and  Primary  Sunday  Schools."    Used  by 
courtesy  of  G.  Schirmer,  Inc. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  FRIEND  OF  THE  FRIENDLESS :  THE 
WISE  FAIRY 

Matthew  25  :35-40 

Memory  VkrsS 

"  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  my  brethren, 
even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me." — Matthew  25  :40b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

This  lesson  has  been  arranged  with  the  thought  that  it 
may  be  used  in  connection  with  the  frolic  or  afternoon  of 
Christmas  cheer  and  good  time  which  every  teacher  should 
have  with  her  children  at  the  Christmas  season.  As  will  be 
seen  it  is  a  simple  dramatization  of  the  poem  "  The  Wise 
Fairy  "  which  was  the  illustration  used  in  a  previous  lesson. 
The  pupils  are  familiar  with  the  story  and  its  underlying 
thought,  and  this  will  simplify  the  preparation.  Make  this 
a  "  giving  "  Christmas  as  well  as  a  "  receiving  "  Christmas, 
and  let  this  dramatization  further  your  end.  Some  articles 
of  comfort  may  be  collected  and  afterwards  put  in  baskets 
and  sent  to  some  needy  child  or  family  or  shut-in,  some 
destination  previously  determined  upon  by  children  and 
teacher.  This  will  follow  the  plan  of  preparing  for  each 
lesson  some  expressional  activity  correlating  with  the  under- 
lying thought  of  that  lesson. 

Of  course  this  little  innovation  may  be  simplified  till  it 
is  almost  an  impromptu  exercise,  or  it  may  be  elaborated 
by  using  a  curtain  and  making  the  w^hole  stage  represent 
the  interior  of  the  spinner's  cottage — then  in  turn  the 
ditchers  at  work,  the  children  in  the  meadow,  the  fisher 
and  some  appropriate  surroundings,  and  by  giving  many  sep- 
arate little  acts. 

Ill 


112  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL   LESSONS 

The  Friend  of  the  Friendless :  The  Wise  Fairy 

Stage  Setting:  A  small  group  of  little  pine  trees,  Christ- 
mas trees,  to  represent  a  forest,  one  of  the  trees  to  be  slightly 
larger  than  the  others,  as  the  '*  home  "  of  the  wise  fairy. 

The  fairy  may  be  costumed  either  in  a  crisp,  short,  full- 
skirted  dress  of  tarlatan,  or  in  a  softer,  clinging  costume  of 
white  cheesecloth.  She  should  have  the  customary  crown  of 
tinsel,  with  a  star  decoration.  The  stars  may  be  homemade 
or  they  may  be  purchased  at  an  entertainment-supply  store. 
The  fairy  may  carry  an  electric  searchlight  instead  of  the 
customary  wand,  in  order  to  "  overlook  the  land."  She 
should  also  carry  on  her  arm  a  basket  constructed  from  large 
golden  hearts.  Make  the  heart  shape  decidedly  prominent. 
Fill  this  with  "  lumps  "  made  of  gold  or  yellow-colored  paper 
coins.  The  "  coins  "  should  be  rather  large ;  fasten  several 
together  by  means  of  elastic  bands. 

If  it  is  desired  to  elaborate  the  wood  scene,  you  may 
decorate  with  the  green  garlands  which  may  be  purchased 
at  entertainment  shops.  Use  gold  stars  and  gold  paper 
garlands  lavishly  around  the  fairy's  tree. 

In  one  corner  of  the  room  or  stage  represent  a  brick  fire- 
place by  means  of  brick  fireplace  paper,  which  may  be  pur- 
chased at  an  entertainment  shop,  add  andirons  and  a  spin- 
ning wheel  if  you  can  get  them,  and  anything  else  which 
will  make  this  corner  look  like  a  cottage  and  its  interior. 

In  another  corner  have  several  little  boys,  dressed  in 
overalls  and  carrying  small  spades  and  pickaxes  at  work 
as  at  digging  a  ditch.    Muffle  the  ends  of  the  tools. 

In  another  corner  of  the  room  represent  a  meadow  by 
means  of  a  bit  of  apple-green  cheesecloth  fastened  to  the 
floor,  and  a  few  gay  paper  flowers.  Several  toy  cows  or 
goats  may  represent  the  animals. 

In  another  place  a  child  with  a  diminutive  fish  line  may 
represent  the  '*  fisherman." 

All  this  may  be  simplified  or  elaborated  as  you  wish,  as 
suggested  above. 

Curtain  rises  to  music,  "  Maryland,  My  Maryland." 

Fairy  amongst  branches  of  tree  surrounded  by  her  at- 
tendants, several  little  gnomes  and  elves,  who  creep  out 
from  behind  the  other  trees. 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  113 

Gnomes  and  elves  join  hands  and  sing  round  the  tree: 
("  Maryland,  My  Maryland.") 

"  A  little  fairy  comes  at  night, 
Her  eyes  are  blue,  her  hair  is  brown. 
With  silver  spots  upon  her  wings, 
And  from  the  moon  [a  tree]  she  flutters  down. 

She  has  a  little  silver  wand, 
And  when  a  good  child  goes  to  bed. 
She  waves  her  wand  from  right  to  left, 
And  makes  a  circle  round  its  head. 

(Softly.     Singers  nod.) 

"And  then  it  dreams  of  pleasant  things 
Of  fountains  filled  with  fairy  fish, 
And  trees  that  bear  delicious  fruit. 
And  bow  their  branches  at  a  wish." 

— Thomas  Hood. 

r^AiRY  (rustling  the  tree  branches  and  moving  her  electric 
searchlight  round  the  stage)  :  "  Nighttime  again,  my 
little  gnomes  and  elves  !  Sleepy,  little  Dusky  Shadow  ? 
(Points  her  searchlight  toward  little  elf  in  soft  gray 
drapery.)  Wake  up!  Our  work  has  just  begun  !  Why, 
you  behave  like  one  of  the  daylight  children.  Come,' 
wake  up!  Such  a  busy  night  this  is  to  be  for  all  of  us ! 
It  is  near  the  Christmas  time!  Busy!  Busy!  Busy! 
Let  us  begin  our  work.  One  dance  round  our  forest 
home  to  wake  you  up,  then,  to  work !  " 
(Hum  "  Maryland,  My  Maryland,"  and  circle  round  the 
fairy  tree.) 

Fairy  (directing  her  light  toward  the  fireplace  by  which  a 
little  old  lady  sits  spinning  surrounded  by  her  children — 
doll  babies)  :  "  Look,  my  little  gnomes  and  elves !  Look 
and  listen ! 

(All  the  little  gnomes  and  elves  stop  humming,  some 
place  hands  to  the  ears  and  others  place  hands  over  the 
eyes  as  they  listen  to  the  monologue  of  the  little  old 
spinner.) 

L1TT1.E  O1.D  Spinnicr  (sighing):  "Oh,  dear!  Nighttime 
already   and   my   work    is   not   done!      (Yawns.)      If 


114  PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Sonny-boy  had  not  been  sick  to-day  I  should  have  been 
through.  My,  what  a  cold  he  has  taken !  He  should 
have  this  little  woolen  coat — then  he  would  be  warmer. 
But  there  is  not  enough  wool  to  finish  it.  He  should 
have  some  mittens,  too,  and  so  many  other  things.  And 
Norma  and  Jack  and  Marie  should  have  new  shoes  and 
coats.  And  the  money  in  the  pocketbook  is  so  little. 
(Opens  a  large  pocketbook  and  counts  a  few  coins.  One 
rolls  away  on  the  floor.)  There,  the  noise  waked  the 
baby — I'll  sing  him  to  sleep  again.  (Stirs  cradle  and 
sings  one  verse  of  "  Luther's  Cradle  Hymn."  See 
music.) 

Fairy  waves  her  electric  searchlight  and  presently 
mother  and  babies  are  all  asleep,  as  gnomes  and  elves 
hum  softly  the  music  of  "  The  Cradle  Hymn." 

Fairy  :  "  Now's  our  time !  Quick,  little  ones  !  All  must  be 
finished  when  I  wave  my  wand.  Here,  little  White 
Cloud !  Take  this  yellow  ball  of  gold !  She  will  need 
more  than  one,  for  Norma  and  Jackie  and  Marie  must 
all  have  comforts.  Here,  Moonbeam!  Here,  FroHc! 
(Hands  each  a  golden  ball  from  her  heart-shaped  basket. 
With  much  ado  about  tiptoeing  and  silent  laughter,  they 
manage  to  put  a  ball  in  the  mother's  lap,  and  the  others 
in  the  cradle.     Fairy  waves  her  wand,  and  all  retire.) 

Fairy  :  "  Heigho !    Well  done !    My  good  little  spirits  !    One 
more  song,  a  very  gay  song — then  to  work  again !  " 
(Sing  "  The  Twinkling  Stars."    See  music.) 

Fairy  (sending  the  rays  of  her  electric  torch)  :  "  Now  to 
work  again!  Ho!  Ho!  What  is  this  I  see?  Look, 
children!  (Focuses  upon  the  "  poor  ditchers.")  "  Poor 
ditchers.     Poor  ditchers !  " 

" '  Knee-deep  in  the  muddy  water! 
Digging,  digging,  and  digging 
To  their  very  graves,  belike!'" 

Come  my  children !     (Hands  out  the  lumps  of  gold.)     I 
will  wave  my  wand  and  put  them  to  sleep !     Sweet 
dreams !  " 
LiTTi^E  Moonbeam.    "  But  they'll  come  true!  " 


PRIMARY   CHURCH   SCHOOL  LESSONS  115 

Little  Gray  Shadow  (giggling)  :  "  They'll  come  true !  " 
(Fairy    waves    wand    and    all    hum    "The    Lullaby." 
Ditchers   sink   in   slumber,  gold   is   placed   in   caps   of 
sleepers,  and  elves  and  gnomes  hop  away.) 

Fairy:  "Well  done,  little  ones!  Let  us  hasten.  (Waves 
searchlight.)  Oh,  look!  (Rests  light  on  the  meadow 
where  she  sees  several  poor  little  children  tending  their 
toy  animals.)  "  Poor  dears  !  Too  little  to  work !  Now 
should  be  their  playtime.  What  a  splashing  in  their  milk 
pails  our  gifts  of  gold  will  make!  Let  us  play  a  fairy 
joke  upon  the  children. 

Sing,  my  dears!  "  (Hum  "The  Cradle  Song."  Chil- 
dren sleep;  elves  and  fairies  place  the  gold  nuggets  in 
pails.) 

Fairy  (flashing  searchlight):  "Ho!  Ho!  A  fisherman! 
But  if  ever  I  saw  a  fisher  who  has  not  hc.d  a  single  bite 
on  his  line,  here  is  one !  What  a  doleful  face !  Here's 
a  chance  for  you,  Little  Glowworm.  Take  this  golden 
salmon  and  fasten  it  on  his  line.  Take  your  little  candle 
to  light  you  on  your  way.  Watch  him,  little  ones,  but 
make  no  noise.  Now  sing  our  lullaby!"  (Humming 
sends  the  fisher  to  sleep.  Glowworm  fastens  on  the 
golden  salmon.) 

Fairy.     "  Now,  children,  let  us  chant  our  spell : 

Together.     "  '  If — any — ditcher,  or  fisher, 
Or — child,  or  spinner  old. 
Buys  shoes  for  his  feet,  or  bread  to  eat. 
Or — a — coat — to — keep  from  the  cold. 
The  gift  of  the  fir-tree  fairy 
Will — always — be — trusty — gold  !  '  " 

Fairy  waves  wand,  all  exclaim  merrily : 
"  Wake,  wake,  wake. 
Find  the  gift  of  the  fir-tree  fairy !  " 

All  awake  with  appropriate  motions  of  pleasure  and  sur- 
prise, take  the  nuggets,  and  explore  their  contents. 

Curtain.     (Music.)     "  The  Angelus." 


116  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  VISIT  OF  THE  WISE  MEN 

Matthew  2:1-12 

Mkmory  Ve:rsi: 

"  And  opening  their  treasures  they  offered  unto  him  gifts." 
—Matthew  2:11c. 

The)  Tdachdr's  Preparation 

Through  this  lesson  you  will  show  the  children  that  God's 
best  Gift,  Jesus,  is  for  all:  the  rich,  the  poor,  the  simple- 
hearted,  and  the  untaught,  the  wise  and  the  great,  the 
young,  the  old.  They  will  see,  too,  that  all  these  classes 
like  to  do  him  honor  by  bringing  him  gifts. 

The  Magi,  or  Wise  Men,  were  astrologers,  and  belonged 
to  a  religious  castle  in  the  East. 

Help  the  children  to  feel  as  definitely  as  it  is  possible  for 
a  child  to  feel  that,  just  as  the  lives  of  those  Wise  Men 
were  touched  and  changed  by  the  Light  which  they  followed 
and  sought,  so  their  lives  may  be  changed  and  beautified  by 
that  same  Light.  As  the  Wise  Men  lifted  themselves  out  of 
the  darkness  of  the  desert  into  the  Light,  so  all  life  may  be 
lifted  toward  that  same  Light. 

The:  Visit  of  thk  Wisi$  Men 

(If  the  teacher  can  sketch  a  camel  upon  the  blackboard 
[and  it  is  not  a  difficult  outline] ,  she  will  add  greatly  to  the 
interest  of  "  the  beginning  "  of  the  story.) 

If  a  man  likes  his  camel,  he  will  buy  a  fine  harness  for  it, 
just  as  a  man  buys  a  fine  harness  for  his  favorite  horse,  or  a 
little  boy  sometimes  buys  a  fine  collar  for  his  pet  dog.  He 
buys  a  harness  with  tinkling  bells  and  pretty  tassels  and 
sometimes  chains  of  shells.  If  he  is  a  rich  man  with  plenty 
of  money  in  the  moneybag  which  he  carries,  he  may  buy  a 
big,  white  camel,  because  a  white  camel  costs  more  than  a 
brown  camel.  He  will  feel  of  the  great  hump  on  his  back, 
and  he  will  look  at  the  queer,  spongy  feet,  to  be  sure  that 
he  can  trust  his  beast  to  carry  him  on  his  long  journey  over 
the  sands  of  the  desert. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  117 

A  long,  long  time  ago,  three  men  bought  camels,  the  best 
that  could  be  found,  for  they  were  rich  men.  They  were 
going  to  a  far  country.  They  took  with  them  dates  and 
olives  and  food  enough  to  last  through  the  journey.  Besides 
their  lunch,  each  man  had  in  his  pack  a  treasure,  a  beautiful 
treasure.  One  man  carried  gold,  another  carried  costly 
frankincense,  and  the  other  carried  sweet-smelling  myrrh. 

The  travelers  were  called  "  Wise  Men  " ;  they  knew  a 
great  deal  about  the  stars ;  sometimes  they  tried  to  tell  the 
meaning  of  people's  dreams;  sometimes  they  tried  to  tell 
the  meaning  of  signs. 

As  they  rode  along  the  desert,  they  would  often  look  up 
at  the  sky;  a  very  bright,  new  star  was  there,  and  they 
talked  about  it.  They  followed  its  light,  and  it  led  them 
along.  The  men  liked  best  to  travel  at  night,  because  it  was 
cooler.  They  put  up  their  tents  during  the  hot  hours  of  the 
day,  and  rested.  They  often  talked  about  a  little  Baby  King. 
It  was  to  see  this  little  Baby  that  they  were  taking  the  long 
journey.  The  star  was  the  sign  that  he  had  been  born,  and 
it  was  leading  them  to  his  birthplace. 

They  traveled  for  many,  many  miles.  The  star  led  them 
out  of  the  desert.  By  and  by  they  came  to  the  great  city  of 
Jerusalem.  There  was  a  high  wall  all  round  about  it,  and 
the  gates  were  guarded. 

The  big  camels  drew  near  the  gates.  The  travelers  said 
to  the  gatekeeper :  "  We  have  come  to  worship  the  Baby 
King  who  has  just  been  born.  Where  can  we  find  him? 
Can  you  tell  us  the  way  ?  " 

The  gatekeepers  were  greatly  surprised.  Up  in  the  palace 
lived  King  Herod ;  there  was  no  baby  king  there.  King 
Herod  had  been  king  for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  even 
as  they  thought  of  his  name  the  faces  of  the  gatekeepers  be- 
came hard  and  cross-looking.  How  they  hated  him !  How 
everyone  in  Jerusalem  hated  the  man  who  kept  them  poor 
and  treated  them  so  cruelly ! 

"  No,  there  is  no  baby  king,"  they  said  to  the  strangers. 

But  the  Wise  Men  kept  on  their  journey,  for  the  star  led 
them,  and  they  were  sure  of  finding  the  Baby,  if  they  hunted 
faithfully. 

At  last  some  one  went  to  the  palace  and  told  King  Herod 
about  the  strange  visitors,  and  the  strange  question. 


118  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Herod  was  frightened ;  he  was  angry.  Perhaps  it  was  a 
plan  to  take  away  his  crown ;  perhaps  some  one  wanted  to 
take  his  place.  What  if  he  should  lose  his  palace  and  his 
servants  and  his  chariots  and  his  beautiful  robes  and  all  his 
jewels  ?  The  more  he  thought,  the  more  troubled  and  fright- 
ened and  angry  he  became. 

He  called  some  of  the  great  men  and  the  priests  to  come 
to  the  palace.  He  began  to  ask  them  questions.  Their  an- 
swers troubled  him  more  and  more. 

"  Call  these  strangers  to  the  palace,"  he  commanded. 
"  But  do  not  let  anyone  know  about  this  thing." 

The  Wise  Men  came. 

"  When  did  you  see  the  star  ?  "  he  asked,  and  they  told 
him.  Then  he  asked  a  great  many  other  questions.  The 
king  was  greatly  troubled. 

"  Go  find  the  child.  Look  everywhere  for  him.  When 
you  find  him,  come  and  tell  me.  I,  too,  will  go  to  worship 
him,"  he  said.  But  this  was  a  wicked  lie,  for  the  bad  king 
did  not  intend  to  worship  any  little,  newborn  King. 

The  Wise  Men  left  the  palace,  and  went  on,  following  the 
star.  It  led  them  out  of  the  big  city,  out  over  the  hills, 
toward  the  little  town  of  Bethlehem,  the  very  same  town 
that  the  shepherds  had  visited.  It  led  them  on  and  on,  till 
it  rested  over  a  house. 

The  Wise  Men  knew  that  their  journey  was  over;  they 
entered,  and  there  they  saw  the  dear  little  Baby  Jesus,  with 
Mary,  his  mother.  They  fell  down  on  their  knees  and  wor- 
shiped him.  Then  they  gave  him  their  treasures,  the  beauti- 
ful gifts  they  had  traveled  so  far  to  bring.  But  when  they 
went  back,  they  did  not  go  near  the  palace  to  tell  King 
y^erod,  for  in  a  dream  God  warned  them  not  to  do  so. 

Suggested  Activities 

Have  the  pupils  copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Decorate  an  envelope,  or  better,  a  small  box  with  an  ap- 
propriate Christmas  picture.  Write  upon  it  the  question : 
"  What  can  I  give  him  ?  "  Use  this  for  the  following  col- 
lection. Determine  upon  some  special  charity  for  the  class 
collection,  something  for  a  little  child  where  a  gift  will  be 
greatly  needed. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  119 

Praykr 

Heavenly  Father,  we  know  that  the  gift  of  Jesus  was  for 
everyone.  We,  too,  are  grateful  as  were  the  shepherds  and 
the  Wise  Men.  We,  too,  would  give  thee  a  gift.  We  know 
that  what  we  do  for  others  is  the  same  as  giving  to  thee. 
We  give  our  gifts  for  thy  sake.    Amen. 


GOD  THE  PROTECTOR 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  BABY  JESUS  SAVED  FROM  DANGER 

Matthew  2:13-15,  19-23 

Memory  Verse 

"  Jehovah  is  thy  keeper." — Psalm  121 :5a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Fear  is  an  emotion  prominent  in  varying  degrees  in  differ- 
ent Httle  children.  They  are  afraid  of  pain;  they  are  afraid 
of  goblins  and  of  horrible  things  which  they  imagine  popu- 
late darkness  and  shadowy  corners;  they  are  afraid  of 
strange  noises ;  they  are  afraid  of  death.  In  the  Bible,  our 
true  word  picture  book  of  the  childhood  of  the  human  race, 
much  is  said  of  this  baleful  emotion,  and  of  the  sure  means 
of  overcoming  it.  The  remedy  is  so  to  fill  the  heart  and 
mind  with  the  certainty  that  God  is  our  Protector  and  ever 
present  with  us  both  in  times  of  special  crises  and  in  the 
everyday  sameness  of  our  lives  that  the  feeling  of  fear  is 
crowded  out. 

"Jehovah  is  nay  light  and  my  salvation; 
Whom  shall  I  fear? 
Jehovah  is  the  strength  of  my  life; 
Of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid. 


Though  a  host  should  encamp  against  me, 
My  heart  shall  not  fear." 

To  show  this  fact  in  concrete  form,  by  means  of  stories. 
Biblical,  historical,  and  also  in  sketches  from  modern  child 
life  should  be  the  aim  of  every  teacher,  and  for  her  help 
this  lesson  and  several  which  are  to  follow  under  the  same 
theme,  are  given. 

123 


124  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

The:  Historicai,  Se:tting 

This  story  follows  in  historical  sequence  the  story  of  The 
Visit  of  the  Wise  Men.  Augustus  Caesar  was  emperor  of 
Rome,  with  his  residence  at  that  city.  Herod  was  king  of 
Judea,  and  responsible  to  Csesar.  Herod's  reign  of  over 
thirty  years  was  the  story  of  the  life  of  a  tyrant,  and  the 
hearts  of  his  people  were  filled  with  bitter  hatred  toward 
him.  This  feeling  was  caused  by  a  long  series  of  neglected 
interests,  of  unjust  taxations,  of  cruel  and  excessive  pun- 
ishment, of  careless  treatment  of  life  and  property. 

Although  born  in  a  lowly  manger,  the  King  of  whom  the 
Jewish  prophets  wrote  had  come:  the  shepherds  and  the 
Wise  Men  had  seen  him.  The  Wise  Men  through  their 
questions  had  aroused  suspicion  in  the  mind  of  Herod,  and 
he  was  haunted  by  the  dread  of  losing  his  throne  and  the 
luxuries  incident  to  his  royal  life.  His  hatred  grew,  and  he 
began  a  search,  intending  to  destroy  the  "  Child  King  "  of 
whom  they  spoke,  if  he  could  find  him.  But  God's  protect- 
ing care  was  over  his  own  Son.  He  warned  Joseph  in  a 
dream  to  move  to  a  place  of  safety.  Hence  the  flight  into 
Egypt. 

Draw  on  the  blackboard  a  picture  of  a  simple,  flat-topped 
Oriental  house,  such  as  that  in  which  Joseph  and  Mary 
probably  went  to  live  after  they  left  the  inn.  Tell  the  chil- 
dren something  about  these  houses,  describe  the  flat  roof, 
the  outside  stairway.  Tell  something  about  the  simple  fur- 
nishings. Explain  that  Joseph  probably  found  such  a  home 
for  Mary  and  the  Child,  and  that  they  had  left  the  inn  and 
were  living  there  when  the  Wise  Men  came  to  visit  the  Baby. 

Open  your  service  by  quiet  music,  such  as  some  sweet, 
simple  lullaby.  Have  the  children  sing  Luther's  "  Cradle 
Hymn." 

The:  Story 

Just  as  soon  as  Joseph  could  find  a  nice  little  house,  he 
took  Mary  and  the  Baby  to  live  in  it.  It  looked  something 
Hke  this  (draw).  It  was  made  of  clay;  it  had  a  flat  top; 
it  had  an  outside  stairway  like  this. 

When  the  pleasant  warm  days  came  Mary  intended  to 
take  her  Baby  in  her  arms  and  go  upstairs,  because  it  would 
be  cool  and  pleasant  there.    The  family  of  three  was  living 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  125 

in  the  nice  little  house  when  the  Wise  Men  came  to  make 
their  visit. 

Day  after  day  Mary  rocked  the  Baby  to  sleep  in  her  arms, 
and  sang  lullabies.  She  loved  him  dearly,  and  was  glad 
when  she  saw  that  he  was  growing  a  Httle  stronger  every 
day. 

Joseph  took  care  of  them  both.  He  was  a  carpenter,  and 
I  suppose  he  made  things  with  his  tools  and  earned  money 
by  selling  them  to  the  people  who  lived  in  the  town. 

Together  they  watched  the  Baby,  and  Mary  would  say, 
"  He  grows  prettier  every  day,  Joseph,  does  he  not  ?  " 

*'  He's  a  wonderful  Baby,  too.  The  angels  sang  of  his 
birth,  and  the  star  led  the  shepherds  to  find  him." 

Then  they  would  talk  about  the  visit  of  the  Wise  Men. 
They  would  look  at  the  beautiful  gifts  they  had  brought. 
They  would  talk  a  long  time  about  the  Baby  and  these  won- 
derful things,  and  then  they  would  dream  sweet  dreams 
about  him. 

But  one  night  Joseph  had  another  kind  of  dream;  it  was  a 
fearful  dream.    He  awoke  with  a  start. 

"  Mary !  Mary  !  "  he  called. 

"  Mary,  I  have  had  a  dream !  It  was  about  the  Baby.  He 
is  in  great  danger !  " 

Mary  listened,  and  she  grew  cold  with  fear. 

"  We  have  no  time  to  lose,  Mary.  Herod,  the  king,  is 
searching  for  him.     He  will  kill  him !  " 

Joseph's  voice  trembled  with  anger  when  he  spoke  the  bad 
king's  name. 

Mary  gathered  her  Baby  close  in  her  arms  and  held  him 
tight  as  Joseph  told  his  dream. 

"  God  has  warned  me.  We  must  leave  at  once.  The  king 
must  not  find  the  Baby.    There  is  no  time  to  lose !  " 

Then  Joseph  went  out  and  found  a  donkey  and  brought 
it  to  the  door.  Mary  dressed  herself  and  the  Baby.  She 
took  a  little  lunch  and  a  bottle  of  water.  Joseph  helped  her 
into  the  saddle,  and  they  hurried  away  in  the  darkness  from 
the  little  house  where  they  had  been  so  happy. 

Out  of  the  little  town  of  Bethlehem  they  rode.  After  a 
while  the  road  grew  dreary,  like  a  desert,  yet  on,  on  they 
went.      Mary    forgot   that   she   was   tired;   Joseph   thought 


126  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

nothing  of  his  aching  feet  as  he  walked  along  by  the  side 
of  the  beast  of  burden. 

"  Little  Jesus  must  not  be  found !  The  king  shall  not  get 
my  dear  Baby,"  said  Mary. 

"  No,"  answered  Joseph.  "  Herod  shall  not  kill  this 
Child.  It  is  the  will  of  God  that  he  should  live,"  and  they 
traveled  on. 

By  and  by  they  came  to  another  land,  called  Egypt. 

"  We  are  safe !  "  cried  Joseph.  "  The  king  will  not  get 
us  here !  " 

"  My  Baby !  "  whispered  Mary,  gratefully.  "  Thank  God 
for  keeping  him  safe  from  Herod !  " 

So  Joseph  and  Mary  and  the  Baby  stayed  in  Egypt  just 
as  long  as  God  wanted  them  to  stay ;  indeed,  they  lived  there 
till  King  Herod  died.  God  then  told  Joseph  in  another 
dream  that  it  would  be  quite  safe  for  them  to  bo  back  and 
live  in  their  own  country  again. 

Then  Joseph  said,  "  Let  us  go  to  Nazareth." 

Nazareth  was  the  town  where  Joseph  and  Mary  had  lived 
before  Jesus  was  born.  Mary  thought  of  the  pretty  white 
houses  covered  with  vines;  she  thought  of  the  lovely  or- 
chards of  olive  and  orange  trees  ;  she  remembered  the  flowers 
she  had  picked  from  the  garden  when  she  was  a  little  girl. 
She  thought  of  all  these  things  and  said,  "  Yes,  let  us  take 
little  Jesus  there." 

So  they  went  to  Nazareth,  and  Joseph  found  another 
pretty  house.  Little  Jesus  grew  like  the  flowers  in  the 
garden.  Mary  taught  him  to  say  her  name ;  she  taught  him 
to  say  a  little  prayer  to  God,  his  heavenly  Father. 

Joseph  was  a  carpenter  and  by  and  by  the  little  Boy  was 
old  enough  to  be  with  him  when  he  worked.  How  glad 
Jesus  was  to  hold  the  nails  for  Joseph,  or  to  find  the  hammer 
or  some  tool  that  he  needed  ! 

His  mother  told  him  stories  from  the  Bible,  the  same 
stories  that  you  love  so  well.  She  told  him  about  the  shep- 
herds and  the  Wise  Men  who  came  to  visit  him  when  he  was 
a  tiny  Baby ;  she  told  him  about  the  star  and  the  angels* 
song.  And  each  year  that  the  little  Boy  grew  he  became  a 
greater  help  to  his  mother  and  to  Joseph  in  the  carpenter 
shoo. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


127 


Suggested  Activities 

Have  the  pupils  copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Let  them  cut  out  or  draw  an  Oriental  house  using  the 
pattern  given. 

Talk  about  the  need  of  being  "  protectors "  to  little 
brothers  and  sisters  and  urge -that  this  care  be  specially  given 
this  week — this  service  to  be  discussed  during  a  portion  of 
the  following  lesson. 

Let  them  learn  the  following  prayer  verse : 

"  O  Lord,  be  not  far  from  me." — Psalm  35  :22b. 


AN  ORIENTAL  HOUSE 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

SAVED  FROM  DANGER:  THE  CHILDREN  IN 
THE  WOODS 

Matthew  6 :  26 ;  10 :  29-31 ;  Psalm  27 :  1-3,  7,  8,  13,  14 

Memory  Verse 

"  Jehovah  is  thy  keeper."— Psalm  121 :5a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

One  of  the  beautiful  teachings  in  the  Bible  is  that  God 
protects  the  little  and  the  weak.  We  are  assured  of  this 
by  many  incidents,  and  through  actual  statement  of  the  fact. 
God's  own  Son  gave  this  testimony  of  his  Father's  care  over 
the  more  helpless  and  the  smaller  things  of  earth  when  he 


128  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

said,  "  Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  penny  ?  "  This  bird 
was  of  so  little  value  that  two  were  worth  but  a  penny! 
Then  he  continued,  "  And  not  one  of  them  shall  fall  on  the 
ground  without  your  Father."  Again  and  again  it  is  shown 
to  us  that  God  is  tender-hearted  to  all,  and  especially  toward 
those  who  are  not  able  to  stand  the  buffetings  of  the  world's 
hard  circumstances. 

The  children  should  be  helped  to  know  this  side  of  their 
heavenly  Father,  for  such  knowledge  will  awaken  a  confi- 
dence and  trust  which  will  help  them  through  many  a 
childish  crisis.  Show  them  this  so  clearly  that  they  will  turn 
to  God  in  such,  times  as  naturally  as  did  David  when  he  said : 

"Jehovah  is  my  light  and  my  salvation; 
Whom  shall  I  fear? 


When  thou  saidst,  Seek  ye  my  face;  my  heart  said  unto  thee, 
Thy  face,  Jehovah,  will  I  seek." 

Very  often  we  little  realize  that  a  small  affair  in  a  child's 
life  has  meaning  to  him;  it  may  seem  like  a  fearful  thing 
though  in  fact  it  is  not.  What  a  comfort  it  is  if  the  little 
one  is  able  to  turn  naturally  and  confidently,  and  ask  for 
protection  and  then  to  be  sure  of  the  close  presence  and 
guidance  of  God  through  the  danger  which  is  causing  such 
distress ! 

There  is  a  feeling  of  tenderness  toward  children,  the 
weak  and  the  helpless,  in  the  heart  of  every  human  being, 
unless  he  is  far  too  depraved  to  deserve  the  likeness  of  his 
heavenly  Father.  And  this  trait  is  often  remarkably  notice- 
able and  fully  developed  in  the  great  and  the  strong.  Many 
beautiful  stories  are  based  upon  this  feeling.  Show  the  chil- 
dren the  beauty  of  the  characteristic  of  the  desire  to  protect. 
Perhaps  you  can  awaken  interest  by  telling  the  incident  of 
Abraham  Lincoln's  turning  aside  to  put  back  the  little  help- 
less bird  that  had  fallen  from  its  nest  and  was  in  danger  of 
being  trampled. 

Show  the  children  how  they,  too,  in  their  small  way  may 
help  to  "  protect "  baby  brothers  or  sisters  by  being  willing 
to  care  for  them  when  mother  is  busy.  Talk  over  this  possi- 
bility at  length.    You  may  draw  attention  to  both  the  "  pro- 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  129 

tector"  and  the  "protected,"  by  means  of  the  following 
story  which  is  simpHfied  and  adapted  from  the  incident 
called  "The  Children  in  the  Wood  of  the  Far  South," 
found  in  "A  Book  of  Golden  Deeds"  by  Charlotte  M. 
Yonge. 

Thic  Story 

^  A  long  time  ago  in  the  country  called  Australia  three 
little  children  lived  with  their  father  and  mother  on  a  farm. 
Big  brother  was  nine  years  old,  sister  Jane  was  seven,  and 
little  Frank  was  five. 

Not  far  from  their  home  was  a  big  woods :  the  trees  were 
close  together  and  the  overhanging  branches  kept  most  of 
the  sunlight  out.  Away,  deep  within,  it  seemed  almost  like 
twilight  even  in  broad  daylight. 

Beneath  these  trees  was  plenty  of  good  firewood  to  be  had 
for  the  gathering,  and  this  was  just  the  work  for  little  people 
to  do  so  long  as  they  did  not  venture  too  far  into  the  deep, 
dark  places. 

One  day  Big  Brother,  Jane,  and  little  Frank  all  started 
out  to  gather  the  firewood,  for  they  were  always  quite  ready 
to  help  mother. 

When  evening  came,  however,  they  did  not  come  back. 
Mother  and  father  were  anxious,  of  course,  but  they  knew 
that  there  were  no  bears  or  wolves  or  other  fierce  wild  ani- 
mals, and  father  comforted  himself  with  that  thought  while 
he^made  ready  to  hunt  for  his  little  lost  children. 

"  My  children  will  not  be  torn  to  pieces  by  wild  beasts," 
he  said,  "  but  they  will  have  nothing  to  eat ;  nothing  grows 
in  those  woods,  not  even  a  raspberry  or  a  blackberry.  And 
what  will  they  do  for  water  ?  Grown  men  have  been  known 
to  die  in  these  woods.  How  will  my  poor  little  children 
fare  ?  " 

The  anxious  father  called  his  neighl^ors  and  asked  them 
to  help  him  to  hunt  for  his  children,  and  together  the  men 
started  out. 

"  Cooee !  "Cooee  !  "  they  shouted,  for  that  is  the  call  people 
use  in  those  woods. 

"Cooee!   Cooee!   Cooee!" 

As  father  thought  of  the  dangers,  he  became  more  and 
more  frightened.  The  neighbors  tried  to  comfort  him,  but 


130  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

they,  too,  grew  very  sober- faced  as  the  hours  passed  by,  and 
nothing  but  echoes  answered  them. 

The  day  passed,  and  then  the  night;  the  next  day  passed, 
and  the  next  night ;  still  no  little  voice  answered  the  calls. 

At  last  they  asked  the  help  of  some  of  the  dark-skinned 
native  people  who  had  lived  in  Australia  even  before  the 
white  men  came  there.  These  men  would  be  able  to  track 
the  children  if  anyone  could. 

They  looked  at  the  ground.  Soon  signs  were  found  in  the 
bent  twigs  and  the  tramplings  of  the  grass. 

"  Here  little  one  tired ;  sit  down,"  said  one  man  who  could 
speak  a  bit  of  the  white  man's  language.  "  Big  one  kneel 
down ;  carry  him  along." 

"  Here  travel  all  night,"  said  another  as  he  looked  at  the 
trail.    "  Dark — not  see  that  bush ;  her  fall." 

Then  another  man  said,  "  Here  little  one  tired  again ;  big 
one  kneel  down  but  fall  flat  on  face." 

"  Poor,  poor  little  children !  "  said  the  neighbors. 

**  My  oldest  child  has  been  protecting  his  little  brother," 
thought  father  as  he  listened  to  the  talk  of  the  dark-skinned 
natives. 

After  a  week  had  passed  the  natives  led  the  father  up  to 
a  clump  of  brush,  where  lay  the  three  little  figures.  Little 
Frank  was  in  the  middle,  the  safest  place ;  one  little  protector 
was  on  each  side.  The  baby  brother  was  covered  with  sister 
Jane's  torn  dress — to  keep  him  warmer. 

The  father  thought  his  children  were  dead,  but  as  he 
stooped  over  them.  Big  Brother  stirred  and  whispered, 
"  Father !  "  then  fell  back  with  weakness. 

Little  Frank  awoke  from  a  quiet  sleep.  "  Father,  why 
didn't  you  come  before  ?    We  were  cooeeing  for  you !  " 

Jane  was  just  alive,  and  she  murmured,  '*  Cold,  cold !  "  as 
her  father  lifted  her  in  his  arms. 

The  rescuers  gathered  the  children  in  their  arms  and  car- 
ried them  home  to  a  place  of  safety  and  put  them  to  bed. 

Because  little  Frank  was  so  much  stronger  than  the  others 
the  rescuers  knew  how  unselfish  Big  Brother  and  sister  Jane 
had  been. 

How  good  God  was  to  answer  that  father's  prayers  and 
guide  him  to  his  lost  children  and  help  him  to  save  their 
lives ! 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOI.  LESSONS  131 

SUGGESTKD  ACTIVITII:S 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Select  verses  from  the  lesson  material  and  prepare  a 
blackboard  reading  lesson. 

Talk  over  possibilities  of  keeping  baby  brother  or  sister 
from  danger  by  careful  care-taking,  and  try  to  carry  out  the 
talk  during  the  week. 

Impromptu  dramatization  of  this  story. 


CHAPTER  XV 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  BABY  MOSES 

Exodus  2:1-10 

Memory  Verse 

"Jehovah  is  thy  keeper." — Psahii  121:5. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

At  this  time  Egypt  was  at  the  zenith  of  all  her  brilliant 
history.  The  Pharaoh  then  reigning  is  supposed  by  most 
authorities  to  have  been  Ramses  II.  His  ambition  was  to 
add  marvelous  buildings  of  strength  and  permanence  to  his 
kingdom,  and  his  feats  of  architecture  have  been  the  wonder 
of  the  ages  since. 

In  order  to  carry  out  his  stupendous  plans,  he  needed  the 
skilled  strength  of  many  workmen,  and  this  he  obtained  by 
subjecting  to  a  state  of  slavery  the  thousands  of  Israelites 
then  living  in  his  land,  the  descendants  of  Jacob  and  his  sons 
who  had  emigrated  from  their  home  in  Canaan  because  of 
famine,  so  many  years  before. 

These  people  were  put  under  the  closest  and  strictest  of 
laws,  and  overseers  insisted  upon  the  utmost  fulfillment  of 
the  tyrant's  requirements.  The  Hebrews  were  not  permitted 
to  raise  themselves  to  a  higher  social  position,  and  their 
condition  of  constant  labor  rendered  them  too  weary  to 
rebel. 

The  glory  of  the  ruler  and  the  splendor  of  his  kingdom 
increased  amidst  the  groanings  and  sufferings  of  an  afflicted 
race.  Monuments,  temples,  obelisks,  and  palaces  were  built 
throughout  the  land.  The  palaces  were  equipped  with  every 
known  device  for  the  luxurious  living  which  the  king  and  the 
upper  classes  craved.  Services  of  all  kinds  both  within  doors 
and  on  the  farms  and  in  the  garden  were  demanded  of  these 
unfortunates. 

135 


136  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

But  God  heard  the  cries  of  his  chosen  people,  and  he 
sent  his  aid  through  Moses  who  was  destined  to  become  their 
leader  out  of  the  land  of  their  bondage. 


Teaching  Suggestions 

It  will  add  greatly  to  your  lesson  if  you  gather  a  number 
of  the  hieroglyphic  pictures  which  represent  the  Israelites 
at  work  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  These  can  often  be  secured 
at  a  public  library,  from  books,  or  in  the  form  of  mounted 
pictures. 

Tell  something  about  the  great  river  Nile  which  over- 
flows its  banks  every  year,  thus  watering  the  gardens  and 
giving  life  to  the  fruits  and  vegetables — the  onions,  leeks, 
and  melons  which  are  important  food  supplies  in  Egypt. 

Explain  how  barren  the  soil  would  have  been  without 
the  water  which  came  in  this  way  from  the  Nile.  Tell  about 
the  beautiful  flowers  that  grew  in  Egypt,  especially  the  lotus, 
and  how  the  people  liked  them,  using  them  to  decorate  their 
dining  tables,  and  their  rooms ;  how  they  presented  them  to 
guests ;  how  they  made  garlands  of  them. 

Many  of  the  children  have  been  taught  to  make  baskets 
of  raflia  during  the  manual-training  hour  at  the  secular 
schools,  and  they  will  be  immediately  interested  in  the  de- 
scription of  the  "  ark,"  or  "  cradle,"  which  the  mother  made 
of  reeds.  Show  some  such  little  basket  to  the  children  as 
you  tell  the  story. 


The  Story 

Down  by  the  river  bank  in  the  far-away  country  of  Egypt 
grew  many  long,  strong  reeds,  and  one  day,  many,  many 
years  ago,  a  woman  gathered  a  big  bundle  of  them.  When 
she  brought  them  to  her  house  she  began  weaving  them  into 
a  basket,  and  as  she  worked,  I  am  quite  sure  that  her  little 
son  Aaron  watched  her  fingers  as  she  pulled  the  reeds  in  and 
out  and  back  and  forth. 

Little  sister  Miriam  was  a  bit  older  than  Aaron,  and  I 
suppose  that  she  took  care  of  the  baby  while  her  mother 
was  busy. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  137 

"  Keep  him  quiet,  Miriam  dear,"  mother  said ;  and  Miriam 
would  cuddle  him  very  close  in  her  arms  and  try  to  keep 
him  from  crying. 

"  Isn't  he  a  pretty  baby,  mother  ?  "  Miriam  would  say  over 
and  over  again  as  she  looked  into  his  face ;  and  mother 
would  answer,  "  Yes,  my  dear ;  he  grows  prettier  every  day." 

Then  Miriam  would  remember  the  command  of  the  cruel 
king,  "  All  the  little  boy  babies  of  the  Hebrew  people  must 
be  killed." 

She  would  shudder  as  she  whispered,  "  The  king  must  not 
find  our  baby  !  " 

Father  had  to  spend  all  his  time  working  for  the  king, 
and  he  was  very  tired  when  he  came  home.  Sometimes,  too, 
he  had  a  sad  story  to  tell  of  how  the  overseer  had  struck 
him  when  he  could  not  work  fast  enough.  The  king's  over- 
seers were  very  cruel  to  all  the  Hebrew  people  who  were 
building  his  great  buildings  for  him.  They  often  forced  the 
brickmakers  to  gather  their  own  straw  to  mix  with  the 
mortar,  but  they  demanded  that  just  as  many  bricks  be 
done  at  the  end  of  the  day. 

Father  would  sigh  !  "  How  long  !  How  long  !  "  and  then 
mother  tried  to  comfort  him. 

By  and  by  the  little  basket  cradle  was  finished,  and  it  was 
just  big  enough  to  hold  baby  brother.  Mother  made  it  quite 
water-tight  by  covering  it  on  the  outside  with  pitch.  Then 
she  placed  baby  inside,  and  carried  both  baby  and  cradle 
down  to  the  river.  Quietly  and  gently  she  hid  it  among  the 
tall  grasses  that  grew  at  the  edge  of  the  water. 

"  Watch  him  carefully,  Miriam,"  she  said.  "  Do  not  go 
too  near,  because  some  one  might  see  you.  I  will  go  home. 
But  if  harm  comes  to  baby  brother,  call  me." 

How  the  little  "  mother  sister  "  watched  that  tiny  basket ! 
She  did  not  mind  tired  back  or  aching  feet.  As  she  stood 
just  where  her  mother  told  her  to  stand,  she  thought  of 
mother's  words :  "  God  is  good.  God  is  strong.  He  loves 
little  children."  Then  she  would  whisper  to  herself, 
"  Surely  he  will  take  care  of  little  baby ;  surely  he  will  save 
him  from  the  king." 

Presently  the  faithful  little  sister  heard  a  sound.  Some 
one  was  coming !  She  strained  her  ears  to  listen ;  then  her 
heart  seemed  almost  to  stop  its  beating!     The  princess  was 


138  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

coming!  The  king's  daughter  was  coming  to  the  river  to 
bathe !  Yes,  it  was  the  princess  and  her  maidservants ! 
What  should  Miriam  do  ? 

The  royal  lady  and  her  attendants  came  close  up  to  the 
river  bank.  Then  the  princess  spied  the  tiny  basket.  "  What 
is  this  ?  "  she  cried. 

One  of  her  maidens  lifted  the  basket  for  her  mistress 
to  see. 

"  Open  it !  "  she  commanded. 

The  maiden  opened  it,  and  there  lay  the  helpless  baby. 

**  It  is  one  of  the  Hebrew  children !  "  she  said. 

Then  God  did  a  wonderful  thing.  He  put  it  into  her 
heart  to  be  kind  to  the  little  slave  child. 

"  What  a  beautiful  little  baby !  "  she  exclaimed. 

The  baby  looked  about;  mother  was  not  there;  he  could 
not  see  sister  Miriam.    He  cried. 

**  Poor  little  baby !  "  exclaimed  the  princess. 

Miriam  came  nearer ;  she  knew  that  her  chance  for  saving 
little  brother  had  come.  Then  she  heard  the  princess  say : 
"  I  shall  keep  this  beautiful  baby  for  my  own.  Carry  him 
to  the  palace." 

What  a  marvelous  thing  for  the  princess  of  Egypt  to  say ! 
Could  Miriam  believe  her  own  ears?  But  she  had  heard 
aright. 

It  was  a  hard  thing  for  a  little  slave  girl  to  speak  to  the 
royal  lady,  but  brave  little  Miriam  spoke.  "  Would  you  like 
a  good  nurse  for  the  pretty  baby  ?  "  she  asked  timidly.  "  I 
know  some  one  who  would  take  care  of  the  baby  so  well !  " 

The  great  lady  looked  down  into  the  sweet  face  of  the  little 
girl.    "  You  may  go  bring  her,"  she  said. 

Then  Miriam  ran  as  fast  as  she  could  right  back  to  her 
mother.  "  O  mother,  mother !  "  she  panted.  "  The  princess 
has  found  the  baby !  She  loves  him !  She  is  going  to  keep 
him  !    She  wants  a  nurse  to  take  care  of  him  !    Come  !  " 

Mother  ran  to  the  riverside.  The  princess  put  the  little 
baby  into  her  arms.  *'  I  want  a  nurse  for  this  dear  little 
baby.  I  shall  call  his  name  Moses.  You  shall  take  care  of 
him." 

This  was  God's  wonderful  way  of  taking  care  of  a  little 
baby  who  was  in  great  danger. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  139 

Suggested  Activities 

If  the  class  is  composed  of  children  who  are  able  to  give 
a  small  sum,  collect  enough  to  purchase  some  necessary 
article  for  a  baby,  preferably  for  a  child  of  needy  parents. 

Lead  to  a  special  act  of  attentive  care  for  baby  sister  or 
brother  this  week. 

Make  a  raffia  cradle  basket. 

If  you  work  with  clay,  have  the  children  make  models  of 
bricks  and  pyramids. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

HOW  GOD  FOUND  THE  WAY  TO  A  SEABOUND 
COTTAGE 

Psalms  102:1-5;  103:1-5 

Memory  Verse 

"Jehovah,  be  thou  my  helper." — Psalm  30:10b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Keep  in  constant  remembrance  the  fact  that  your  aim  in 
teaching  these  lessons  is  not  only  to  give  the  historical  fact. 
This,  of  course,  is  to  be  done,  and  well  done ;  but  over  and 
beyond  this,  we  must  make  such  an  appeal  that  we  effect  the 
desired  change  in  the  child's  life,  in  his  way  of  doing  things. 
We  must  not  stop  when  the  story  is  grasped  intellectually, 
not  until  the  truth  is  engraved  upon  the  very  heart  is  our 
work  accomplished. 

To  help  along  this  purpose  it  is  often  well  to  tell  some 
story  of  child  life  illustrating  the  truth  which  we  have  de- 
veloped through  the  telling  of  the  Biblical  story.  For  this 
side  of  your  work  select  really  good  stories,  often  those  from 
the  accepted  classics  for  children,  or,  perhaps,  a  beautiful 
incident  from  history,  and  amplify  it.  We  shall  thus  be 
working  hand  and  hand  with  the  secular  schools,  and  cor- 
relating with  the  courses  there. 

In  leading  up  to  our  story  for  to-day  have  the  children 
retell  the  story  of  the  baby  Moses,  you,  of  course,  by  your 


140  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSOiNS 

questions  and  skillful  references  making  the  theme,  "  God 
the  Protector,"  the  prominent  light. 

The  purpose  of  your  introduction  is  to  awaken  interest 
and  attention,  and  to  call  up  in  the  mind  some  related  fact 
which  is  known,  upon  which  to  build  the  new  knowledge. 
After  you  have  spent  a  requisite  amount  of  time  for  the 
review,  make  the  connection  by  means  of  a  sentence  or  two 
similar  to  the  following. 

Introduction 

God  protected  his  own  little  Son,  the  Baby  Jesus.  He 
protected  the  little  baby  Moses.  He  loves  little  children. 
Do  you  not  think  that  he  is  glad  still  to  protect  them? 
I  do.  Would  you  like  to  hear  a  story  of  a  little  boy  who 
was  in  danger  of  being  a  cripple  all  his  Hfe,  and  how  God 
saved  him  from  this  sad  trouble? 

The:  Story  ^ 

It  was  Christmas  Eve,  and  a  bitter  cold  night.  The  snow 
lay  deep  in  drifts  all  round  about  a  little  cottage  away  up  in 
the  far  country  of  Labrador. 

In  the  cottage  lived  three  little  children  with  their  father 
and  mother — Jimmy  and  Martha  and  little  lame  Sammy. 

Although  it  was  so  cold  outside,  it  was  quite  warm  and 
comfortable  in  the  kitchen,  for  Fisherman  Jutt  had  built  a 
good  fire  in  the  old  stove,  and  round  it  gathered  the  three 
little  children — and  sober-faced  children  they  were,  too,  for 
Christmas  Eve.  Martha  held  a  letter  in  her  hand ;  she  had 
found  it  in  the  stove.  She  herself  would  have  told  you  that 
it  had  come  straight  from  Santa  Claus — from  his  home  at 
the  North  Pole.  All  three  stared  at  the  letter,  and  their 
eyes  were  not  far  from  tears. 

As  they  sat  looking  at  the  letter,  a  great  stamping  and 
thumping  was  heard,  and  some  one  began  to  pound  on  the 
door.     "  Open !  "  he  cried,  and  the  little  Jutts  huddled  close 

together.  ,  .  ,    i     , 

**  Open !  "  cried  the  big  voice  agam,  and  the  knockmg  was 

1  Adapted  from  "  Christmas  Eve  at  Topmost  Tickle,"  by 
Norman  Duncan,  in  "Doctor  Luke  of  the  Labrador."  (Flem- 
ing Revell  &  Co.). 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESvSONS  141 

still  louder.  "  Are  you  dead?  Are  you  deaf?  We'll  freeze, 
I  tell  you  !    Open  !  " 

Skipper  Jonas,  the  children's  father,  then  opened  the  door, 
and  there  stood  two  cold-looking  men.  '*  Welcome,  sirs, 
whoever  you  be  !    'Tis  a  wild  night,"  he  said. 

"  Thank  you !  Yes,  we  were  glad  to  see  your  h"ght.  I 
see  the  glow  of  a  fire!  Hello!  Who's  this?  Children? 
Good!    Three  of  them!    Ha!" 

Not  one  of  the  little  Jutts  nor  the  father  nor  mother  then 
knew  that  one  of  the  men  was  a  good  doctor;  but  Martha 
and  Jimmy  and  little  Sammy  looked  into  his  kind,  twinkling 
eyes  and  then  knew  that  they  were  in  for  a  merry  time  with 
the  stranger  who  had  the  great  voice  and  the  laughing  eyes. 
They  began  to  chuckle  with  delight. 

"  I  like  children !  "  he  said,  and  he  looked  into  their  faces, 
but  most  of  all  he  looked  at  pale,  little,  lame  Sammy.  "  How 
are  you  ?  "  he  asked ;  and  Sammy  answered,  "  Better." 

"  Better !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor. 

"  Ith,  thir,"  lisped  Sammy. 

The  mother  spread  a  lunch  of  bread  and  tea,  the  best  she 
had,  and  the  strangers  ate.  Then  the  doctor  spied  the  letter 
that  Martha  had  in  her  hand. 

"  What's  that,  my  girl  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  He's  not  coming,  zur,"  she  answered.  "  Santa  Claus  is 
not  coming  this  year.     He's  broke  his  leg." 

"  Poor  fellow  !    How  did  he  do  that  ?  "  asked  the  doctor. 

"  Catchin'  one  o'  the  wild  reindeer." 

All  at  once  the  doctor,  with  twinkling  eyes,  exclaimed : 
"  The  lazy  rascal  1  Did  they  send  you  that  message  ?  Give 
me  that  letter !     Sammy,  where  did  this  letter  come  from  ?  " 

"  North  Pole,  thir !  "  answered  Sammy. 

"  And  how  did  it  come  ?  "  asked  the  doctor. 

"  Out  of  the  stove,"  and  the  doctor  read :  "  '  Dear  Martha : 
This  few  lines  is  to  let  you  know  that  on  account  of  havin' 
broke  me  leg  cotchin'  the  deer,  Pm  sorry  not  to  be  able  to 
be  out  in  the  heavy  weather.    Yours,  Santa  Claus. ^ 

"  Ha !  "  shouted  the  doctor  as  he  crushed  the  letter  in  a 
ball  and  sputtered  in  a  great  way,  "  Pll  attend  to  him !  PlI 
fix  him !  Give  me  pen  and  ink."  He  wrote  a  letter  in  great 
haste,  strode  to  the  stove,  flung  it  in,  and  slammed  the  lid. 
"  There,  I  think  that'll  do  the  trick.    We'll  soon  know."    All 


142  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

waited  very  quietly,  then  the  doctor  jerked  open  the  lid,  and 
snatched  a  letter,  putting  out  the  flame.  How  the  little  Jutts 
blinked  !     Here  was  surely  a  letter  from  Santa ! 

"  Read  that,  Martha  Jutt,"  he  exclaimed  and  Martha  read : 
"  Dear  Sir :  Mistaken  message.  Santa  Claus  got  away 
at  9.36." 

Then  there  was  an  outbreak  of  glee  in  that  kitchen ;  every- 
one cheered,  even  little,  weak-voiced  Sammy.  But  Martha's 
face  sobered.  "  It's  sad  'tis  too  late  to  get  word  to  him," 
she  sighed. 

"  Sad,  is  it?  "  said  the  doctor.  "  What  word  do  you  want 
to  send  ?  " 

"  'Tis  something  for  Sammy,  zur,"  she  answered. 

'*  What  do  you  want  for  Sammy  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  The  Exterminator !  "  Martha  jerked  out  in  great  excite- 
ment. "  Oh,  ay !  "  added  Jimmy.  "  Pine's  Prompt  Pain 
Exterminator.    Warranted  to  cure.     Please,  zur  !  " 

"  Yes,  zur.  Pine's  Prompt  Pain  Exterminator  cures  rheu- 
matism, pains  in  the  back  and  chest,  and  warts  on  the  hands. 
We  want  it  for  Sammy,  zur.    Oh,  zur  " 

"  None  genuine  without  the  label,"  put  in  Jimmy.  "Money 
refunded  if  no  cure."  The  doctor  laughed  and  laughed  and 
laughed  again,  and  wrote  another  note  to  Santa  Claus. 

Later,  when  the  fun  was  somewhat  quiet  and  they  all  sat 
round  the  warm  fire,  the  doctor  took  little  Sammy  in  his  lap, 
and  his  face  was  very,  very  kind.  He  looked  down  deep 
into  his  eyes,  and  stroked  his  hair,  and  at  last  very  tenderly 
bared  his  poor  little  lame  knee. 

"  Ouch !  "  exclaimed  Sammy,  and  he  screwed  up  his  face, 
jjut  the  doctor's  touch  was  very  gentle. 

"  And  is  this  the  pain  that  the  medicine  is  to  cure, 
Sammy  ?  " 

"  Ith,  thir,"  answered  Sammy. 

"  Ah,  is  that  where  it  hurts  ?  "  Right  on  the  point  of  the 
bone,  there  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Ith,  thir." 

And  then  the  doctor  said :  "  Did  you  fall  on  the  rocks  ? 
And  was  the  bruise  where  it  hurts  so  much?  It's  very  hard 
to  bear,  isn't  it?  It  hurts  a  good  deal,  sometimes.  That's 
too  bad.  That  is  very  sad,  indeed.  But  perhaps — perhaps. 
Sammy,  I  can  cure  it  for  you,  if  you  are  brave.     Are  you 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  143 

brave  ?  No  ?  Oh,  I  think  you  are.  You'll  try  to  be,  won't 
you?    Of  course,  that's  a  good  boy." 

Then  the  doctor  put  little  Sammy  on  the  kitchen  table,  and 
with  his  sharp  little  knives,  he  cut  his  knee ;  though  Sammy 
did  not  feel  the  pain  as  he  lay  there  white  and  still  as  if  he 
were  asleep.  And  it  was  not  hard  for  the  doctor  to  do ;  but 
if  he  had  not  chanced  that  way,  Sammy  Jutt  would  have 
been  a  cripple  all  his  life,  which  would  have  been  a  very 
great  pity. 

Now  who  do  you  think  it  was  who  guided  the  doctor's 
footsteps  to  the  lighted  kitchen  that  night  ?  And  who  do  you 
think  it  was  who  gave  the  doctor  skill  to  do  this  great  thing 
for  Sammy? 

Aftkr  the:  Story 

Long  ago  and  now  and  always  God  wants  us  to  believe 
that  he  loves  little  children  and  is  glad  to  protect  them  from 
danger  and  from  hurts.  He  wants  them  to  go  to  him  when 
they  are  in  trouble  or  in  need,  and  to  speak  to  him  as  they 
would  to  a  father. 

Here  are  some  verses  from  the  Bible  that  a  good  man 
wrote  when  he  was  in  trouble;  he  took  his  trouble  to  God. 
Read  the  first  Bible  reference  given  at  the  beginning  of  the 
lesson.  Here  are  some  other  verses  which  thank  God  for 
his  care  in  time  of  trouble.  Read  the  second  selection  at  the 
beginning  of  the  lesson. 

Suggested  Activitie:s 

Write  upon  the  blackboard  several  verses  from  those 
given  at  the  beginning  of  the  lesson,  and  use  them  for  a 
Scripture  reading  lesson. 

Another  blackboard  reading: 

"  Need  I  ever  know  a  fear? 
Night  and  day  my  Father's  near: 
God  sees,  God  sees." 

A  gift  of  book,  game,  or  fruit  sent  by  the  class  to  a  sick 
child.  Never  permit  one  of  the  children  to  be  the  bearer  of 
the  gift  where  there  is  the  slightest  danger  of  contagion  or 
infection. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

HIDING  A  BOY  KING 

II  Kings  11:1-17 

Mkmory  Verse: 

"  Jehovah  is  thy  keeper." — Psalm  121 :5. 

The:  Te:ache:r's  Pre:paration 

It  will  be  necessary  to  trace  to  some  extent  the  family  tree 
of  this  young  prince,  Joash,  in  order  to  grasp  properly  the 
situation  and  tell  the  story  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  the 
scene  live  before  the  eyes  of  your  class. 

Many  years  before  this,  Ahab,  king  of  Israel,  had  mar- 
ried Jezebel,  a  princess,  whose  father,  the  king  of  Sidon,  was 
an  idol  worshiper.  The  princess  was  a  strong-minded,  am- 
bitious woman,  and  unfortunately  these  characteristics  all 
were  toward  evil.  She  was  determined  to  overthrow  the 
worship  of  God  and  supplant  the  religion  of  her  husband's 
people  with  the  idols  of  her  fatherland.  She  influenced  and 
bent  the  will  of  her  weaker-minded  husband,  and  the  Bible 
records  that  he  was  the  most  evil  of  all  Israel's  kings.  Thus 
Baal  worship  grew  in  Israel,  the  Northern  Kingdom.  The 
daughter  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel  was  Athaliah;  she  married 
Jehoram,  or  Joram,  King  of  Judah,  the  Southern  Kingdom. 
Jehoram  died  and  his  son,  Ahaziah,  became  the  king.  How- 
ever, he  was  in  reality  only  king  in  name,  for  his  strong- 
minded  mother,  Athaliah,  was  the  real  head  of  the  govern- 
ment, continuing  the  evil  influence  of  her  heathen  line. 

Ahaziah  met  with  a  tragic  death  at  the  hands  of  Jehu. 
Read  the  account  in  II  Kings  9:21-29.  Athaliah  was  then 
afraid  that  she  would  have  to  give  up  the  position  of  au- 
thority which  she  so  much  enjoyed,  and  so,  to  avoid  this,  she 
ordered  all  her  grandchildren  who  were  the  rightful  heirs 
to  the  throne  to  be  killed. 

144 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  145 

Prince  Joash  was  one  of  the  heirs.  His  aunt  Jehosheba, 
a  half  sister  of  the  dead  king,  had  married  a  priest  of  the 
Temple,  Jehoiada.  This  good  woman  hurried  with  the  little 
prince  to  the  safest  places  which  she  could  think  of — first  to 
a  storeroom,  and  then  to  the  Temple,  long  since  neglected 
by  the  worshipers  who  now  frequented  the  temples  of  Baal. 
She  hid  her  little  nephew,  not  quite  a  year  old,  in  this  quiet 
place. 

We  can  imagine  the  lonely  little  prince  growing  up  in  the 
silent  place,  mothered  by  the  loving  aunt,  and  trained  by  the 
good  priest  in  the  ways  in  which  God  intended  a  little  child 
to  be  trained.  The  first  hope  was  to  see  the  line  of  Israel's 
kings  eventually  restored,  and  to  see  through  Joash,  the 
overthrow  of  Baal  and  the  return  of  a  belief  in  God  in  his 
erring  countrymen. 

Until  the  little  lad  was  seven  years  old  this  quiet  life  con- 
tinued ;  but  in  the  heart  of  the  priest  was  hidden  the  hope, 
and  in  his  mind  the  plan  was  fermenting,  for  a  conspiracy 
which  would  ultimately  result  in  the  restoration  of  the  old 
order  of  things.  The  denouement  of  this  plan  forms  the 
story  material  for  to-day's  lesson. 

The:  Story 

Little  Joash  was  really  a  prince,  but  he  did  not  live  in  a 
palace.  He  lived  in  the  church,  or  the  Temple,  as  the  people 
called  the  beautiful,  big  building,  God's  house. 

When  Joash  was  a  tiny  baby  less  than  a  year  old,  he  had 
lived  in  a  palace,  for  his  father  was  the  king,  but  that  w^s  six 
years  before;  Joash  was  now  seven. 

Joash  did  not  remember  anything  about  the  dreadful  night 
that  he  had  been  taken  away,  but  Aunt  Jehosheba  did.  In- 
deed, if  it  had  not  been  for  Aunt  Jehosheba  little  Joash  would 
never  have  lived  to  grow  to  be  a  boy  seven  years  old,  big 
enough  to  help  Uncle  Jehoiada  every  day. 

What  a  night  that  had  been !  A  messenger  had  come  run- 
ning to  the  palace  crying :  "  The  king  is  dead !  The  king  is 
dead  !  He  hath  been  killed  in  the  battle  !  "  Soon  afterward 
servants  brought  the  dead  king,  the  little  prince's  father, 
home,  and  he  was  buried. 

Now  this  little  boy's  grandmother  wanted  to  be  queen,  for 


146  PRIMARY  CHURCH  vSCHOOL  LESvSONS 

she  loved  the  palace  and  the  beautiful  jewels  and  the  chariots. 
She  was  a  wicked  woman,  and  she  did  a  terrible  thing ;  she 
ordered  the  soldiers  to  kill  all  who  had  any  right  to  the 
throne.  She  intended  to  kill  the  little  baby  Joash,  who  was 
less  than  a  year  old,  but  Aunt  Jehosheba  spoiled  her  plan. 
She  stole  the  baby  away  and  hid  him  in  a  storeroom.  Her 
husband  was  a  priest,  or  minister,  in  the  Temple.  For  many 
years  God's  house  had  been  a  very  quiet,  lonely  place ;  for 
most  of  the  people  no  longer  went  there.  Instead  of  w^or- 
shiping  God  they  bowed  down  to  a  wicked  idol. 

Aunt  Jehosheba  was  like  a  good  mother  to  the  little  baby 
whom  she  had  saved  from  a  dreadful  death  when  the  wicked 
grandmother  sought  through  the  palace  for  him.  She  taught 
him  verses  from  the  Bible,  and  told  him  stories  about  GckI, 
and  how  it  was  God  who  was  taking  care  of  him  and  keep- 
ing him  safe  from  danger.  His  uncle  told  him  how  sad  he 
was  because  so  many  of  the  people  prayed  to  idols. 

The  little  prince  had  seven  birthdays  in  the  Temple. 
Uncle  Jehoiada  and  Aunt  Jehosheba  had  long  planned  for 
the  time  when  the  little  boy  could  be  crowned  king,  for  they 
remembered  that  the  big  palace  and  the  throne  really  were 
his. 

At  last  Jehoiada  told  his  secret  to  some  trusty  men.  "  The 
real  little  king  still  lives,"  he  said,  and  told  the  story.  Then 
they  made  a  bold  plan. 

"  Stand  with  your  weapons  in  your  hand,"  Jehoiada  bade 
them  after  he  had  made  everything  clear.  "  Stand  from  the 
right  side  of  the  Temple  to  the  left !  " 

Then  he  brought  the  seven-year-old  boy  out  before  them 
all.  He  placed  a  golden  crown,  all  glittering  with  precious 
stones  upon  his  little  head,  and  put  a  roll  of  God's  laws  in 
his  hand.    He  then  anointed  him  king. 

What  a  noise  of  rejoicing  then  rang  through  the  Temple ! 
How  the  men  clapped  their  hands  and  shouted :  "  Long  live 
the  king  !    Long  live  the  king  !  " 

"  Long  live  the  king !  "  The  noise  reached  the  palace. 
The  wicked  grandmother  heard  it,  and  she  hurried  to  see 
what  it  all  could  mean.  When  she  drew  near,  and  heard  all 
the  trumpets,  and  caught  the  words,  and  sav/  the  boy  with 
the  crown  upon  his  head,  she  understood. 

"  Seize  her  !     Catch  her  !     Take  her  prisoner  !  "  shouted 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  147 

Jehoiada.    Then  the  soldiers  took  the  wicked  woman,  and  she 
was  killed. 

Jehoiada  then  made  a  promise  to  God  that  he  and  the  new 
king  and  the  people  would  serve  God  and  be  his  people. 
How  grateful  they  were  that  God  had  saved  the  little  boy 
from  all  danger  and  had  kept  him  safely  in  the  Temple  for 
more  than  six  years  ! 

SuGGKSTi^D  Activities 

Make  a  collection  of  toys  to  send  to  some  child  who  is 
lonely  and  shut-in  because  of  illness  or  an  infirmity  or  any 
other  cause.    Send  in  the  name  of  the  class. 

It  would  be  best  to  buy  new  toys,  if  you  are  not  perfectly 
sure  that  those  obtained  by  donations  will  be  free  from  germs 
of  children's  diseases. 

Write  a  class  letter  to  go  with  the  gift.  Children  always 
like  to  write  and  to  receive  letters,  and  this  is  among  the 
first  and  most  important  of  the  language  tasks  in  the  secular 
schools. 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Write  three  or  four  original  sentences  about  the  little 
Prince  Joash.     (Or  copy  these  from  the  blackboard.) 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

GOD  THE  PROTECTOR 

H  Corinthians  11  :16,  24-27;  12:8-10 

Memory  Verse 

**  The  God  of  love  and  peace  shall  be  with  you." 

— II  Corinthians  13:11. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

In  teaching  the  lessons  under  this  theme,  "  God  the  Pro- 
tector," a  word  of  caution  is  needed.  We  select  stories 
where  the  dominant  character  is  protected  and  kept  from 
some  threatened  danger  through  the  care  of  God,  principally 


148  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

by  means  of  some  kindly  human  agency.  We  find  plenty 
illustrations — but  we  must  not  let  the  inference  be  drawn  by 
the  child  that  he  is  always  safely  shielded  from  all  bodily 
harm ;  that  in  every  case  of  trouble  he  will  be  spared ;  that 
if  he  is  in  a  proper  attitude  toward  God  his  heavenly  Father, 
his  will  be  a  "  flowery  bed  of  ease." 

It  will  not  be  long  before  his  life  experience  will  prove 
that  this  is  not  so.  There  are  dangers  and  trouble  on  every 
hand,  and  we  know  it  and  he  will  know  it.  The  present 
time  and  the  immediate  past  of  the  world's  history  make  this 
especially  apparent.  There  is  evil  in  the  world,  and  we  are 
here  to  meet  it,  and  combat  it,  and  conquer  it. 

At  first  thought  this  might  seem  a  contradiction  to  the 
theme  statement,  but  it  is  not ;  and  step  by  step  we  may  lead 
the  children  to  understand  the  subtle  blending  of  the  two 
thoughts.  Paul  speaks  of  a  "  shield  "  and  of  God's  protec- 
tion, yet  again  he  often  refers  to  the  "  enduring  of  hard- 
ness." He  was  always  confident  of  God's  care,  yet  his  was 
not  the  accepted  idea  of  a  protected  life.  Remember  his  de- 
scription: "  in  perils  of  rivers,  in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils 
from  my  countrymen,  in  perils  from  the  Gentiles,  in  perils 
in  the  city,  in  perils  in  the  wilderness,  in  perils  in  the  sea,  in 
perils  among  false  brethren  ...  in  hunger  and  thirst,  in 
fastings  often,  in  cold  and  nakedness."  He  did  not  flinch 
from  these  things.  Yet  did  he  not  live  in  constant  surety  of 
God's  protection? 

Do  not  let  us  deceive  the  children  and  lull  them  into  an 
apathy  of  dependence  and  weakness.  Let  us  help  them  to 
realize  that  although  God  is  their  shield  and  nothing  can 
harm  the  real  "  self  "  the  "  soul,"  they  must  not  hesitate  to 
make  themselves  brave  "  soldiers  "  in  life,  and  conquerors. 

To  lead  up  to  this  thought,  choose  for  to-day's  illustra- 
tion the  story  of  "  The  Leak  in  the  Dike."  Bring  out  the 
thought  that  duty  must  not  be  shirked  for  the  sake  of  safety 
or  self  ;  that  God  is  pleased  when  his  children  forget  self 
and  safety  for  the  sake  of  others.  God  took  care  of  the 
little  boy  who  was  willing  to  do  so  brave  a  deed. 

The:  Story 

There  was  once  a  little  boy  named  Peter  who  lived  in  a 
cottage  in  the  country  of  Holland 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  149 

Now  Holland  is  a  very  low  land,  and  it  borders  on  the 
sea.  Indeed,  it  is  so  low  that  great  walls  have  been  built  to 
keep  the  water  back  from  the  land.  Those  walls  are  called 
"  dikes,"  and  if  it  were  not  for  them,  the  sea  would  often 
come  rushing  over  the  fields  and  even  flood  the  houses. 

It  was  fine  fun  to  play  on  top  of  the  dikes,  and  Peter 
often  played  there  with  his  little  friends,  that  is,  when  he 
was  not  helping  father  drive  the  cows  to  pasture,  or  bring- 
ing them  home  at  night,  or  helping  mother  weed  the  tulip 
bed,  or  churning  the  cream  into  butter,  or  bringing  home 
the  big  loaf  of  bread  which  had  been  baked  at  the  baker's, 
or  carrying  wood  for  the  great  fireplace  where  the  iron  pot 
was  boiling  merrily  for  dinner. 

Now  one  day  he  was  walking  along  the  dike  quite  alone, 
and  presently  he  heard  a  sound  which  made  him  stand  still 
to  listen.  Yes,  there  it  was  again ;  he  had  made  no  mistake. 
Trickle  !  Trickle  !  Trickle !  Could  it  possibly  be  a  leak  in 
the  dike? 

Well  Peter  knew  what  that  would  mean!  Every  little 
boy  in  Holland  who  was  old  enough  to  know  anything  knew 
what  a  leak  in  the  dike  meant !  The  little  stream  of  water 
would  grow  so  fast  that  soon  the  fields  would  be  flooded. 
Hundreds  and  hundreds  of  cows  would  be  lost !  The  water 
would  sweep  away  houses  and  many,  many  people  would  be 
drowned ! 

"  A  leak  in  the  dike !  "  Peter  stood  quite  still  in  his  little 
wooden  shoes  for  a  minute,  while  his  heart  seemed  to  stop 
its  beating,  and  his  eyes  opened  wide  with  fright.  But  that 
would  never  do  !  He  must  act !  He  followed  the  sound,  and 
soon  found  the  little  stream.  It  was  just  as  he  thought! 
A  leak  in  the  dike ! 

"  Father !  Father !  "  he  called.  -But  his  father  could  not 
hear.  The  stream  was  growing !  He  dared  not  leave.  He 
called  and  called  again,  but  no  one  heard. 

^  Then  he  did  a  very  brave  thing  for  a  boy  to  do ;  he  stuck 
his  own  arm  through  the  hole,  and  the  water  stopped  its 
flowing. 

Nighttime  came,  and  still  no  one  passed.  He  called  again 
and  again.  How  cold  the  water  felt!  How  stifif  his  arms 
and  legs  grew.  How  his  back  began  to  ache.  He  was 
hungry,  too. 


150  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

He  thought  of  the  comfortable  home.  Father  was  prob- 
ably smoking  his  pipe  and  dozing.  Mother  was  spinning  the 
linen.  He  thought  of  the  cheese  and  the  sausages  they  had 
for  supper,  and  the  great  slices  of  bread.  They  would  miss 
him,  and  mother  would  worry. 

Father  would  say,  "  Peter's  all  right,  mother !  "  and  then 
he  would  doze  again.  But  father,  too,  would  grow  anxious 
when  bedtime  came.  Then  he  would  hunt  for  his  boy.  Peter 
knew  that  he  would. 

Then  I  am  sure  that  Peter  must  have  asked  God  to  take 
care  of  him  and  to  keep  him,  and  bring  some  one  soon  to 
help  him.  I  am  sure  he  must  have  said  his  prayers,  for  the 
little  Holland  children  are  told  how  God  is  their  Protector 
and  how  they  should  turn  to  him  in  time  of  trouble  and 
danger. 

The  hours  passed,  and  the  nighttime  came,  and  still  Peter 
stayed  at  his  post.  His  father  did  miss  him,  just  as  Peter 
knew  he  would,  and  he  asked  his  kind  neighbors  to  help  him 
hunt  for  his  lost  boy. 

God  led  their  footsteps,  and  at  last  they  found  him.  Poor 
little  Peter !  He  was  almost  dead  with  weariness  and  hunger 
and  stiffness !    They  lifted  him  up  and  carried  him  home. 

The  news  soon  spread,  and  the  people  came  to  thank  him. 
Even  the  mayor  of  the  town  came  to  thank  the  brave  boy 
who  had  saved  their  lives  and  saved  the  town. 

And  I  don't  think  that  Peter  ever  forgot  the  God  who  was 
with  him,  and  comforted  him  and  helped  him  to  be  brave 
enough  to  do  the  hard  thing  that  he  had  to  do.    Do  you  ? 


Sentence  Prayer 

Dear  God,  thou  art  with  us  always :  at  home,  at  school,  at 
play,  at  work,  in  times  of  special  danger — always.  Help  us 
to  remember  and  think  of  this  very  often.    Amen. 

Suggested  Activities 

A  short  conversation  about  "  What  frightens  us  most  ?  '' 
Try  to  show  the  foolishness  of  many  of  the  childish  fears. 
Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LEvSSONS  151 

Reading  Lesson  fkom  the  Blackboard 

(Write  the  *'  promise  "  with  colored  crayon  and  explain 
that  it  is  (jod's  promise,  and  is  found  in  the  Bible.) 

"  In  the  day  of  my  trouble  I  will  call  upon  thee; 
For  thou  wilt  answer  me." 

"  I  will  not  leave  thee." 
"  Help  me,  O  Jehovah  my  God." 

"  I  will  not  leave  thee." 
"  This  T  know,  that  God  is  for  me." 

"  I  will  not  leave  thee." 
"  Unto  thee,  O  Jehovah,  will  1  call." 

"  I  will  not  leave  thee." 
"  In  God  have  I  put  my  trust." 

"  I  will  not  leave  thee." 


Song  :  "  Canst  Thou  Count  the  Stars  ?  "  page  170.     (From 
the  "  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal.") 


CHAPTER  XVII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

A  KING'S  MESSAGE  TO  A  LAME  PRINCE 

II  Samuel,  chapter  9 

Memory  Verse: 

"  Jehovah  is  good ;  his  lovingkindness  endureth  for  ever." 

— Psahii  100:5 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Out  of  this  incident  in  the  Hfe  of  David,  you  may  prepare 
a  striking  example  of  God's  protection  and  loving-kindness 
through  the  agency  of  David,  king  of  Israel.  The  historical 
synopsis  is  as  follows : 

The  final  scene  in  the  life  of  King  Saul  of  Israel  took 
place  out  on  Mount  Gilboa,  during  the  battle  with  the  Phi- 
listines. This  was  the  supreme  struggle  of  the  king  with  his 
ever-menacing  enemies.  God  was  not  with  Saul,  and  he 
"  trembled  greatly  "  on  the  eve  of  this  battle — he  had  for- 
feited the  protection  which  God  is  always  so  willing  to  give. 
When  the  great  day  came,  the  Philistines  pressed  the  king 
and  his  army  harder  and  harder  up  the  sides  of  Mount 
Gilboa  which  rose  from  the  plain  of  Jezreel.  The  three  sons 
of  King  Saul  were  killed.  The  king  was  wounded.  One 
account  says  he  fell  upon  his  own  sword.  An  Amalekite 
coming  up,  found  him  in  this  cruel  position  and  put  him 
out  of  his  pain,  took  the  royal  diadem,  and  carried  the  news 
and  this  proof  of  the  king's  death  to  David. 

Now  at  the  time  of  this  battle,  there  was  a  little  prince, 
probably  living  in  the  king's  palace  at  Gibeah,  the  son  of 
Saul's  son  Jonathan.  The  child's  name  was  Mephibosheth, 
and  he  was  in  the  care  of  a  nurse. 

When  the  messenger  came  bringing  the  news  of  the  de- 
struction of  the  army,  the  death  of  the  king  and  of  all  his 
sons,  the  inmates  of  the  palace  were  thrown  into  panic.    The 

152 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  153 

nurse  caught  up  her  Httle  charge  and  fled.  In  her  wild  con- 
fusion she  stumbled  and  fell,  and  the  child  was  so  injured 
that  he  was  crippled  for  life  in  both  of  his  feet. 

The  family  of  Saul,  including  the  little  prince,  went  to 
live  in  the  country  beyond  the  Jordan.  An  influential  man 
by  the  name  of  Machir,  the  son  of  Ammiel  gave  them  a 
refuge  in  his  house.  Here  Mephibosheth  was  brought  up, 
but,  of  course,  he  was  an  exile  from  his  home,  and  deprived 
of  the  possessions  which  had  been  his  during  the  lives  of  his 
grandfather,  Saul,  and  his  father,  Jonatten.  ^^ 

David  became  the  established  king,  and  he  asked,  '  Is 
there  yet  any  that  is  left  of  the  hovrse  of  Saul,  that  I  may 
show  him  kindness  ? "  ,      ,  .     , 

Then  followed  the  information  from  Ziba  that  the  king  s 
grandson,  the  child  of  his  dearly  beloved  friend.  Prince 
Jonathan,  was  still  living.  It  is  no  wonder  that  David  f^lt. 
that  he  was  called  by  God  to  give  protection  and  to  make 
affectionate,  generous  provision  for  this  unfortunate  son  of 
his  friend. 

Tkaching  Suggestion 

Aim  to  help  the  children  see  the  hand  of  God  through  the 
Hfe  of  this  child ;  that  God  was  watching  over  him  and  car- 
ing for  him,  and  loving  the  poor  lame  prince  all  the  time. 
Lead  them  to  recognize  the  possibility  of  human  agencies 
in  the  help  that  God  has  planned,  and  to  desire  to  be  such 
agents. 

The  Story 

Little  Mephibosheth  lived  in  a  palace ;  his  grandfather  was 
the  king  of  Israel.  His  father  was  a  handsome  prince  who 
rode  in  a  chariot,  and  sometimes  went  out  to  hunt  with  his 
bow  and  arrows. 

The  little  prince  loved  his  strong  father  who  could  hit  a 
mark  so  well  with  his  arrow.  However,  he  was  a  bit  afraid 
of  his  tall  grandfather.  King  Saul,  who  was  often  so  stern 
and  moody. 

But  in  all  the  king's  country  there  was  not  a  little  boy 
who  was  better  cared  for  and  more  daintily  clothed  nor 
more  carefully  fed  than  the  Httle  Mephibosheth,  the  king's 
grandson. 


154  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

One  day  the  palace  was  all  astir.  The  war  chariots  were 
brought;  the  king  and  his  sons  were  dressed  Hke  soldiers. 
Hundreds  and  hundreds  of  other  soldiers  were  gathering. 
The  Philistines,  the  enemies  of  the  king's  country,  had  come. 
They  were  out  in  the  plain  beyond  the  city. 

Mothers  said  good-by  and  tried  to  be  brave ;  little  children 
watched  with  big,  frightened  eyes  at  all  that  was  happening. 

Brave  Prince  Jonathan  bade  good-by  to  his  baby  son,  and 
hurried  away  with  his  father.  King  Saul,  his  two  brothers, 
and  all  the  other  soldiers.  The  PhiHstines  were  upon  them 
and  they  were  strong  and  cruel  and  bold. 

Soon  only  the  women  and  the  children  and  the  old,  old 
men  were  left  in  the  palace  and  the  other  homes  in  Israel. 
And  they  waited  and  watched  for  news  of  the  battle. 

By  and  by  a  messenger  came  running.  His  face  was  filled 
with  horror. 

"  The  king  is  dead !  "  he  panted.  "  King  Saul  is  dead  !  " 
He  showed  the  beautiful  jeweled  diadem  that  only  that 
morning  the  king  had  worn. 

"  All  is  lost !  The  king's  sons  are  killed  !  Prince  Jonathan 
is  dead !  " 

The  old  men  and  the  women  and  the  children  began  to 
weep.    Then  they  cried,  "  We  must  flee  from  the  city !  " 

A  white-faced  woman,  the  little  prince's  nurse,  snatched 
him  up  in  her  arms  and  ran  from  the  palace.  The  Philis- 
tines would  soon  be  in  the  great  building.  She  ran  as  fast 
as  she  was  able. 

In  her  fright  she  stumbled,  and  the  little  prince  fell.  He 
was  cruelly  hurt,  but  the  nurse  could  do  nothing  but  pick 
up  the  poor  little  child  and  hurry  on.  On  she  fled  with 
others,  who  also  were  going  to  a  place  of  safety. 

On,  on  the  nurse  hurried  with  the  little  prince,  and  at  last 
they  came  to  a  place  far  enough  away  to  be  in  safety.  A 
man  who  was  chief  offered  to  let  them  remain  in  his  land. 
He  befriended  the  little  prince  and  many  of  the  others  who 
had  fled  from  the  city  of  the  king. 

But  the  poor  little  baby  boy  never  was  able  to  run  and 
play  as  he  had  been  able  to  do  before  that  dreadful  day  of 
battle.  He  was  lame  for  life.  People  were  sorry  for  the 
child,  and  he  did  not  suffer — but  he  was  no  longer  the  petted 
grandchild   in   a   king's   palace.      He   was   poor   little   lame 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LEvSSONS  155 

Mephibosheth — an  orphan  child  away  from  his  countr\'  and 
his  home. 

Time  passed  by,  and  good  King  David  ruled  in  King  Saul's 
place.  King  David  loved  God,  and  tried  to  obey  and  serve 
him.  A  king  has  a  wonderful  chance  to  do  good  to  a  great, 
great  many  people. 

One  day  he  said:  "  I  wonder  if  there  is  still  living  anyone 
that  belonged  to  King  Saul  to  whom  I  could  do  good?  If 
there  is  anyone,  I  should  like  to  do  the  kindness  of  God  to 
him." 

"  O  king,  I  know  of  such  a  man."  It  was  Ziba,  one  of  the 
king's  servants,  w^ho  spoke. 

"  Who  is  he?  Where  is  he?  "  asked  the  king,  as  his  face 
lighted  wnth  kindness. 

"  It  is  Jonathan's  son.    He  is  lame,"  said  Ziba. 

*'  Where  is  he  ?  "  eagerly  asked  the  king. 

Then  Ziba  told  how  he  had  been  living  in  the  home  of 
Machir,  the  rich  and  powerful  chief  who  dwelt  over  across 
the  river  Jordan.  He  had  been  there  ever  since  he  was  a 
child.  Now  he  was  a  grown  man,  wath  a  little  boy  of  his 
own. 

"  The  son  of  my  friend  Jonathan !  Jonathan's  son  still 
lives  !  "  exclaimed  the  king.     "  Send  for  him !  " 

Then  servants  went  to  the  country  across  the  Jordan  River 
to  the  land  of  Lo-debar,  the  home  of  the  great  chief  who 
had  been  a  friend  to  IMephibosheth,  and  they  brought  him 
to  King  David.  ]\Iephibosheth  came  into  the  king's  presence, 
and  fell  on  his  face  before  him. 

"  Mephibosheth  !  Jonathan's  son  !  "  said  King  David,  and 
his  voice  was  very  kind. 

"  Behold,  thy  servant,  king,"  answered  the  lame  man. 

"  Do  not  fear  me,"  said  the  king.  "  I  will  surely  be  kind 
to  thee  for  thy  dear  father's  sake.  Jonathan  was  my  friend, 
and  you  are  his  son  !  " 

Then  the  king  continued :  "  I  will  take  care  of  thee.  I  will 
show  the  kindness  of  God  unto  thee.  I  will  give  back  to 
thee  all  the  land  of  thy  father.  Thou  shalt  eat  at  my  table 
always. 

"  Ziba !  "  called  King  David.  Years  before  Ziba  had  been 
one  of  the  servants  of  King  Saul,  the  lame  man's  grand- 
father. 


156  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOI.  LESSONS 

Ziba  fell  upon  his  face  before  the  king. 

"  All  that  belonged  to  Saul  and  to  all  his  house,  I  have 
given  to  thy  master's  son.  Thou  shalt  till  his  land  for  him, 
thou  and  thy  sons  and  thy  servants.  From  henceforth,  he 
shall  be  thy  master.  Serve  him  well.  Till  his  land.  Bring 
him  his  fruits  when  they  are  ripe.  This  man,  my  friend 
Jonathan's  son,  shall  always  eat  bread  at  my  table." 

Now  Ziba  had  fifteen  sons  and  twenty  servants.  He 
bowed  himself  before  the  king  and  said,  "  All  that  the  king 
commands  will  thy  servant  do." 

So  Mephibosheth  and  his  little  son  Mica  went  to  live  in 
the  king's  palace  in  Jerusalem,  and  King  David  protected 
and  took  care  of  them,  just  as  he  knew  that  God  wanted 
him  to  do. 

A  Praykr  for  the:  Tkachkr 
"  O  Thou,  without  whose  care  a  sparrow  does  not  fall, 
who  through  the  pathless  sky  dost  guide  the  bird  seeking  its 
distant  nest !  Thy  trusting  children  are  safe  in  thy  dear  love. 
We  know  not  the  way  before  -us,  but  thou  dost  know ;  our 
feet  may  stumble  in  rough  paths,  but  thou  wilt  hold  us  up. 
Glad  in  this  confidence,  may  we  begin  the  day  with  song  and 
finish  it,  whatever  may  befall  us,  in  the  calm  assurance  that 
all  things  work  for  good.  Give  us  patience  in  perplexity, 
hope  amid  our  fears,  and  faith  to  trust  thy  holy  will  as  best. 
Thus  walking  in  thy  love  may  we  reach  home  at  last  to  see 
our  Saviour's  face.    Amen." 

SuGGESTKD  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Buy  and  pack  a  basket  of  groceries  for  some  deserving 
person  who  is  reduced  to  poverty  because  of  some  bodily 
affliction.  This  may  be  large  or  small  according  to  the 
financial  condition  of  the  pupils  of  your  class.  Even  a  box 
of  choice  tea  and  a  bit  of  sugar  would  be  a  pleasant  gift  for 
some  old  person. 

Devotional 
Teach  the  Doxology  ("  Old  Hundredth  ")  and  use  with  it 
as  a  responsive  service  the  following  verses  selected  from 
Psalm  113. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  157 

Praise  yc  Jehovah. 


Praise  the  name  of  Jehovah. 

Blessed  be  the  name  of  Jehovah 

From  this  time  forth  and  for  evermore. 

From  the  rising-  of  the  sun  unto  the  going  down  of  the  same 

Jehovah's  name  is  to  be  praised. 


Who  is  like  unto  Jehovah  our  God, 
That  hath  his  seat  on  high, 


He  raiseth  up  the  poor  .  .  . 
And  lifteth  up  the  needy  .  .  . 
That  he  may  set  him  with  princes. 


Praise  ye  Jehovah, 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  SHUSHAN  THE  PALACE 

Esther  2:5-7,  17,  20-23;  chapters  3  to  8 

Memory  Versi^ 

"  Jehovah  is  good ;  his  lovingkindness  endureth  for  ever." 

—Psalm  100:5 

Thiv  Tj^achkr's  Pre:paration 

Let  us  remember,  that,  as  previously  suggested,  one  of  our 
chief  aims  is  to  give  added  strength  to  the  character  of  our 
pupils  at  this  mobile  period  of  their  lives.  Let  us  contintie 
to  intermingle  with  the  feeling  of  trust  in  God's  loving  pro- 
tection the  knowledge  that  God  desires  a  courageous  outlook 
upon  life,  and  a  willingness  to  trust  while  tackling  the  crises 
which  no  life  can  entirely  escape. 

Paul  is  a  bright  example  of  such  a  character :  He  remem- 
bered God's  promise  of  protection,  for  he  had  been  a 
thorough  student  of  God's  Word ;  he  lived  in  God's  constant 
presence.    But  he  let  God's  purpose  for  him  enter  and  imbue 


158  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

his  whole  being.  Paul  had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  soldiers 
and  the  duty  of  Christian  warfare,  yet  he  reminds  us  that 
God's  armor  was  what  made  successful  warfare  possible. 

The  children  will  catch  the  thought  through  the  story  of 
Esther,  the  beautiful  young  captive  maiden  who  became 
queen  through  her  marriage  to  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  of 
how  she  was  protected  while  performing  the  dangerous  duty 
which  she  was  called  upon  to  do  for  the  sake  of  her  people. 

The:  Historical  Synopsis 

The  Jews  were  living  in  captivity  in  Babylon,  having  been 
conquered  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  Babylon  in  turn  had  been 
conquered  by  Cyrus  and  was  now  a  part  of  the  Persian  Em- 
pire. The  condition  of  the  Jews  was  not  hard  under  this 
ruler;  he  favored  them  to  such  an  extent  that  during  the 
first  year  of  his  reign,  he  issued  a  proclamation  permitting 
all  who  wished,  to  return  to  Jerusalem  to  rebuild  the  Temple. 
Esther's  people  did  not  go,  but  chose  to  remain  in  Babylon. 

At  the  time  of  our  lesson  Xerxes  was  the  king.  This 
man's  character  was  a  strange  contradiction.  He  was  cruel 
and  passionate,  yet  could  be  influenced  to  change  an  edict 
by  the  pleadings  of  the  young  queen  whom  he  had  married. 

Only  a  short  study  of  Persia  at  this  time  will  bring  before 
you  a  gorgeous  setting  for  the  story.  Shushan  was  the 
beautiful  winter  palace  of  the  Persian  kings,  and  here,  about 
two  hundred  miles  from  the  city  of  Babylon,  our  story  inci- 
dent takes  place. 

The  Story 

Esther  was  a  little  orphan  girl ;  both  her  father  and  her 
mother  were  dead.  She  might  have  had  a  very  sad  time  if  it 
had  not  been  for  her  cousin  Mordecai.  He  was  a  grown-up 
man,  and  he  took  care  of  his  pretty  little  cousin  as  if  he  had 
been  her  father. 

Long,  long  years  before,  Esther's  great-grandfather,  with 
a  great  many  other  men  and  women,  had  been  stolen  away 
from  their  homes  in  Jerusalem  and  brought  to  this  wonder- 
ful city  of  Babylon.  Such  a  big  city,  with  splendid  palaces 
and  wide  streets  and  soldiers  prancing  by  on  beautiful,  well- 
cared-f  or  horses !    Here  little  Esther  had  been  born. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  159 

The  years  passed  by,  and  Esther  grew  to  be  a  big  girl. 
She  was  good,  and  it  seemed  as  if  she  grew  more  beautiful 
every  year.  Indeed,  strange  and  wonderful  as  it  seems,  when 
the  king  of  the  land  saw  her,  he  loved  her,  and  chose  her, 
Esther,  a  captive  maiden,  to  be  his  wife,  the  queen. 

The  king  thought  no  woman  in  all  the  land  so  beautiful 
as  his  fair  young  wife  when  she  was  dressed  in  her  lovely, 
queenly  gown,  and  the  royal  gems. 

Shushan,  the  king's  winter  palace,  was  built  in  a  beautiful 
garden.  The  floors  were  of  marble  and  beautiful  colored 
stones.     Strong  pillars  held  up  the  ceilings. 

The  fair  young  queen  had  dishes  of  gold  and  silver  from 
which  to  eat  her  food.  Sweet  flowers  were  everywhere  ;  and 
servants  obeyed  her  every  wish.  It  seemed  a  wonderful 
life  for  a  little  captive  girl. 

Yet — the  young  queen  was  not  always  happy.  Sometimes 
this  king  who  chose  Esther  for  his  wife  was  bold  and  brave, 
so  bold  that  he  would  lead  his  soldiers  out  to  battle  and 
conquer  far  countries.  But  at  other  times  he  was  more  like 
a  coward,  and  sometimes  he  became  so  passionate  and  angry 
that  everyone  in  the  land  was  afraid  of  him. 

Esther's  cousin,  Mordecai,  also  had  business  at  the  palace ; 
day  after  day  he  sat  at  the  palace  gate.  Once  he  sent  a 
warning  to  the  king  and  saved  his  life. 

Now  there  was  in  Babylon  a  certain  man  whom  the  king 
favored ;  the  king  often  did  the  things  that  this  man,  Haman, 
asked  him  to  do.  Indeed,  he  became  such  a  great  man  that 
his  word  was  next  to  the  king's.  But  Haman  hated  the 
people  of  Israel  who  dwelt  in  the  land ;  most  of  all  he  hated 
Mordecai,  Esther's  cousin,  who  would  not  bow  when  he 
passed  by  as  did  all  the  other  people  of  the  land. 

One  day  he  said  to  the  king :  "  O  king,  there  are  certain 
people  living  in  the  land  who  are  dangerous.  They  do  not 
keep  thy  laws.  It  would  be  well  to  get  rid  of  them.  If  it 
please  thee,  let  it  be  written  that  they  be  destroyed.  I  will 
pay  ten  thousand  pieces  of  silver  to  those  who  take  charge 
of  the  work." 

The  king  listened  and  agreed.  He  took  off  his  ring  and 
gave  it  to  Haman  for  a  seal.  "  The  money  to  pay  is  given 
to  thee,  the  people  also."  But  the  king  did  not  know  tha^ 
Esther,  his  queen,  was  one  of  the  people  of  Israel. 


160  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Haman  wrote  the  letters,  and  sent  the  swiftest  runners  to 
spread  the  news  that  all  the  people  of  Israel  should  be 
killed,  and  great  fear  was  in  every  house  where  these  people 
lived.  Mordecai  cried  aloud  in  anger  and  bitterness  and 
grief,  and  the  servants  came  and  told  Queen  Esther  how  her 
cousin  mourned.  Esther  sent  a  messenger  to  her  cousin,  and 
he  sent  back  a  letter,  saying,  "  Go  to  the  king  and  beg  for  the 
hves  of  your  people." 

Queen  Esther  sent  word  to  her  cousin,  saying :  *'  All  the 
servants  of  the  palace  know  that  whoever  goes  before  the 
king  in  the  inner  court  when  he  is  not  called,  will  be  put  to 
death,  unless  the  king  holds  out  his  scepter.  Even  I,  the 
queen,  may  not  go." 

Mordecai  sent  back  the  answer :  "  But  thou,  also,  Esther, 
art  one  of  the  people  of  Israel.  Thou  wilt  not  be  spared. 
Thy  life  will  be  taken  away  when  this  is  known.  And  who 
knoweth  but  that  thou  hast  been  made  queen  to  help  God's 
people  at  this  time?  Who  knoweth  but  that  this  is  God's 
plan  for  thee  ?  " 

Then  Esther  sent  word  to  Mordecai :  "  Go,  gather  all  the 
people  of  Israel  round  about  and  fast  and  pray  for  three 
days.  I  and  my  maidservants  will  do  likewise.  I  will  go 
before  the  king.    I  will  do  this  hard  thing.     If  I  die,  I  die." 

Then  the  queen  put  on  the  most  wonderful  of  all  her 
royal  robes ;  she  looked  more  lovely  than  ever  before  as  she 
came  to  the  forbidden  room.  Would  the  king  look  with 
favor  upon  her?  Would  he  want  her  to  come?  Would  he 
hold  out  his  scepter  to  her,  or  would  he — how  her  heart 
must  have  beat  when  she  asked  herself — would  he  command 
that  she  and  all  her  people  be  killed  ? 

The  king  looked  at  her  and  then — he  raised  his  scepter ! 
He  said :  "  What  wilt  thou  have,  Queen  Esther  ?  What  is 
thy  request?  It  shall  be  given  thee  even  to  the  half  of  the 
kingdom." 

God  was  protecting  the  brave  young  queen  while  she  did 
this  hard  duty  that  he  wished  her  to  do.  God  helped  her 
tell  the  story  so  well  that  the  king  understood  just  what  the 
wicked  Haman  had  been  doing. 

The  evil  servant  trembled  and  begged  for  mercy.  But 
when  the  king  learned  that  he  had  built  a  scafifold  upon 
which  to  hang  Mordecai,  Esther's  cousin,  the  good  man  who 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  161 

once  had  saved  his  life,   he  ordered  that  Haman  himself 
should  be  hanged  upon  it. 

And  Esther  and  her  people  were  saved,  and  Mordecai  was 
made  one  of  the  greatest  men  in  all  the  kingdom. 

Devotional  Service: 

Read  to  the  children  these  verses  selected  from  The 
Psalms,  giving  them  an  opportunity  to  read  the  very  simple 
verses.  Let  one  or  more  of  the  children  who  are  beginning 
to  read  come  forward  and  hold  the  Bible  before  the  class. 
Explain  that  the  verses  are  prayer  verses.  At  the  close  of 
the  devotional  exercises,  continue  to  teach  the  Doxology. 

"Hear  my  cry,  O  God; 
Attend  unto  my  prayer. 

From  the  end  of  the  earth  will  I  call  unto  thee,  when  my 
heart  is  overwhelmed. 


For  thou  hast  been  a  refuge  for  me, 
A  strong  tower  from  the  enemy." 

—Psalm  61:1-3. 

"  But  verily  God  hath  heard; 
He  hath  attended  to  the  voice  of  my  prayer. 
Blessed  be  God, 

Who  hath  not  turned  away  my  prayer. 
Nor  his  lovingkindness  from  me." 

—Psalm  66:19,  20. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse,  or  copy  the  following  sentences 
about  Esther,  making  a  very  simple  little  written  **  story." 

Esther  was  a  little  orphan  girl. 

She  was  beautiful,  and  she  was  good. 

When  she  was  grown  up  the  king  married  her. 

God  had  a  great  work  for  her  to  do. 

It  was  hard;  it  might  cost  her  life. 

At  lirst  Esther  was  afraid. 

She  asked  God  to  help  her. 

She  did  the  work  and  God  took  care  of  her. 


CHAPTER  XVIIl 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

A  LONELY  HIDING  PLACE 

I  Kings  17:1-6 

MKMORY  VlvRSE 

"  What  time  I  am  afraid, 
I  will  put  my  trust  in  thee." 

— Psalm  56:3. 

Thk  Teachkr's  Preparation 

Ahab  was  the  seventh  king  of  Israel,  reigning  874-855  b.  c. 
He  was  the  son  of  Omri,  the  founder  of  the  fourth  dynasty 
of  the  kings  of  Israel,  and  is  designated  in  the  Bible  as  the 
wickedest  king  of  Israel.  He  was  the  bad  son  of  a  bad 
father.  He  married  the  Tyrian  princess,  Jezebel,  daughter 
of  Ethbaal,  king  of  Sidon.  Through  her  influence  he  built 
a  temple  to  Baal,  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  priests  of  Baal 
were  supported  by  this  king  and  queen.  A  grove  was  con- 
secrated to  the  worship  of  Astarte. 

Jezreel,  in  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon,  was  chosen  for  Ahab's 
favorite  residence,  and  here  he  established  a  wonderful 
palace,  his  own  house  being  referred  to  as  the  "  ivory  house." 
Jezebel's  seraglio  was  on  the  city  wall,  and  had  a  high  win- 
dow facing  eastward.  One  of  Ahab's  chief  pleasures  was 
the  building  of  magnificent  structures,  and  his  palace  was  an 
impressive  example  of  the  architecture  of  his  time. 

The  religious  life  of  Israel  was  at  its  lowest  ebb  at  this 
period,  because  of  the  baleful  influence  of  Jezebel  and  Ahab. 

EujAH 

The  sudden  appearance  of  Elijah  from  out  the  fastnesses 
of  his  wild  and  lonely  haunts  in  Gilead  is  one  of  the  most 
dramatic  and  arresting  stories  in  the  Old  Testament.  We 
may  picture  to  ourselves  the  fine,  strong  figure,  clothed  in 

162 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  163 

the  rough,  sheepskin  mantle,  his  deep-set  eyes,  and  long, 
wind-blown  hair,  his  skin  bronzed  by  the  sun  and  wind.  He 
suddenly  appears  amidst  the  effete  surroundings  of  Ahab's 
"  ivory  house,"  the  home  whose  dominating  spirit  was  Jeze- 
bel, the  painted  Tyrian  princess.  The  moral  struggle  be- 
tween these  two  sovereigns  on  the  one  side  and  God's  repre- 
sentative on  the  other,  forms  one  of  the  most  dramatic 
situations  in  all  history.  Our  aim  to-day  is  to  show  a 
character  who  has  performed  a  most  difficult  duty  which 
God  gave  him  to  do,  and  God's  subsequent  care  over  his 
obedient  servant. 

Thk  Story 

There  was  once  a  queen  whose  name  was  Jezebel,  and  be- 
cause she  was  a  queen  she  could  have  almost  everything  she 
wanted.  It  was  a  pity  that  she  did  not  want  good  things, 
for  she  could  have  had  good  things  just  as  well  as  bad ;  and 
it  was  a  pity  she  did  not  want  to  do  good  things,  for  she 
could  have  done  good  things  just  as  well  as  she  could  have 
done  bad  things. 

It  was  just  the  same  with  her  husband,  the  king  whose 
name  was  Ahab:  he,  too,  could  have  had  almost  anything 
he  wanted ;  but,  like  Jezebel,  his  wife,  he  spent  the  days  of 
his  life  in  doing  evil.  Never  before  had  such  a  bad  king 
ruled  over  Israel. 

Hardly  anyone  worshiped  God  any  more.  Instead,  the 
people  went  to  the  splendid,  glittering  temples  in  which  a 
great,  ugly  idol  called  Baal  had  been  placed. 

The  king  and  queen  bowed  down  to  this  idol  which  was 
nothing  but  an  image  without  heart  or  mind  or  eyes  or  any 
life  at  all.  They  also  taught  their  people  to  bow  down  and 
pray  to  the  idol  instead  of  saying  their  prayers  to  the  one 
true  God,  who  was  their  heavenly  Father,  and  who  is  the 
heavenly  Father  of  all  the  world. 

Even  amongst  the  beautiful  trees  in  the  groves  idols  had 
been  placed,  and  there  also  the  people  bowed  down  and 
worshiped.  God's  First  Commandment  was  just  as  much 
of  a  Commandment  then  as  now.  The  king  knew  that  Com- 
mandment, and  his  people  knew  it ;  even  the  little  boys  and 
girls  in  the  king's  country  once  had  known  it :  *'  Thou  shalt 
have  no  other  gods  before  me  " 


164  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Queen  Jezebel  painted  her  face  and  dressed  in  the  gay 
and  wonderful  colors  and  robes  that  came  from  her  father's 
land  in  Tyre.  She  had  a  room  on  the  top  of  the  palace  wall, 
and  the  window  looked  far,  far  away.  Sometimes  she  sat 
by  this  window  and  watched  the  people  who  passed  by. 
Sometimes  she  watched  the  king  as  he  rode  away  to  battle 
in  his  splendid  chariot. 

One  day  a  stranger  came  across  the  valley  of  Jezreel  to 
the  palace.  He  must  have  looked  very  odd  to  the  painted, 
gayly  dressed  queen.  He  was  tall,  and  straight,  and  strong. 
He  looked  as  if  he  had  lived  out  of  doors;  his  face  was 
brown  and  tanned;  his  hair  was  rather  long.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  robe  made  of  the  skin  of  an  animal.  He  had 
wonderful,  truthful  eyes.  I  am  quite  sure  that  King  Ahab 
felt  guilty  and  uncomfortable  when  the  man  looked  at  him ; 
it  must  have  seemed  as  if  he  were  looking  through  and 
through  him. 

The  strange  man's  name  was  Elijah.  He  had  a  message 
for  the  king ;  it  was  a  hard  message  to  give.  Many  men 
would  have  been  afraid  to  give  it.  But  God  had  sent  it,  and 
Elijah  was  brave;  he  was  not  afraid  to  do  the  work  that 
God  had  given  him  to  do. 

"  I  am  a  messenger  from  God,  King  Ahab.  I  am  a  mes- 
senger for  the  true  God  of  Israel,"  said  Elijah. 

How  these  words  must  have  burned  into  the  heart  of  the 
wicked  king ! 

"  God  has  sent  me  to  warn  you.  This  is  his  message : 
If  you  continue  to  worship  Baal,  a  famine  shall  come  to 
your  land.    For  years  there  shall  be  no  dew  or  rain." 

No  dew  or  rain !  King  Ahab  and  Queen  Jezebel  knew 
what  that  meant.  It  meant  that  nothing  would  grow.  The 
fields  would  be  bare;  the  gardens  would  be  parched  and 
brown ;  the  cows  and  sheep  and  goats  would  be  hungry  and 
thirsty  and  at  last  would  die ;  there  would  be  little  to  eat  for 
men  and  women  and  children.  Perhaps  there  would  be 
hunger  even  in  the  palace.    What  would  the  country  do? 

How  angry  the  king  was !  And  the  queen  was  even  more 
furious,  for  she  was  a  very  evil  woman.  Elijah's  life  was  in 
great  danger,  for  she  was  willing  to  kill  him.  j^ 

But  God  was  taking  care  of  his  brave  messenger.  Pie 
spoke  to  Elijah,  saying:  "Hurry  away,  Elijah!     Get  away 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  165 

from  the  palace!  Go  away  from  the  city  of  Samaria.  Run 
toward  the  east !  Hurry  to  the  little  brook  Cherith.  1  will 
feed  thee ;  I  will  give  thee  to  drink  when  thou  art  thirsty. 
1  have  commanded  the  ravens  to  feed  thee,  and  the  water  in 
the  brook  is  cool  and  sweet." 

There  were  lonely  rocks  and  caves  round  the  brook 
Cherith,  good  hiding  places,  and  Elijah  hurried  there.  He 
was  quite  safe  from  the  wicked  king  and  c|ueen. 

He  had  not  been  there  long  before  a  big  bird  flew  near 
and  dropped  from  its  beak  something  for  Elijah's  supper. 
The  bird  was  a  raven.  A  raven  is  a  large,  black  bird  with 
shining  feathers,  about  as  long  as  the  ruler  you  use  at  school, 
about  so  long  (measure).  For  weeks  the  raven  brought 
food  to  Elijah. 

Over  in  the  king's  country  the  rain  did  not  fall.  The 
fields  dried  up;  there  was  little  food  of  any  kind.  The  ani- 
mals died  of  hunger  and  thirst.  Many  little  children  and 
big  people,  too,  went  hungry  and  thirsty. 

But  God  took  care  of  Elijah  all  the  time :  he  had  food 
which  the  ravens  dropped,  and  clear  water  from  the  little 
brook  to  drink. 

Devotional  Service: 
Teach  the  song  "  Canst  Thou  Count  the  Stars?  "  page  170. 
If  the  children  know  this,  use  the  song  during  the  following 
devotional  services  under  this  theme,  calling  attention  to  its 
meaning  and  connection  in  thought  with  the  lessons.  Some- 
times we  do  not  realize  that  a  very  little  suggestion  will  en- 
rich the  whole  service  in  the  minds  of  the  children.  How- 
ever, do  not  make  the  mistake  of  moralizing. 

Reading  Lesson  from  the  BibeE  (By  the  Teacher) 
(Explain  that  the  verses  are  prayer  verses  of  one  who 
was  in  trouble,  and  who  went  to  God  for  help.) 

"  I  cry  with  my  voice  unto  Jehovah; 

I  show  before  him  my  trouble. 

I  cried  unto  thee,  O  Jehovah; 
I  said,  Thou  art  my  refuge, 


166  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Attend  unto  my  cry; 

For  I  am  brought  very  low." 

— Psalm  142  (Selected  verses). 

"Hear  my  prayer,  O  Jehovah;  give  ear  to  my  supplications; 

Cause  me  to  hear  thy  lovingkindness  in  the  morning; 
For  in  thee  do  I  trust: 

Cause  me  to  know  the  way  wherein  I  should  walk; 
For  I  lift  up  my  soul  unto  thee. 

I  flee  unto  thee  to  hide  me." 

— Psalm  143  (Selected  verses). 


Praise  to  God  the:  He:i,pe:r 

"  Praise  ye  Jehovah. 
Praise  Jehovah,  O  my  soul. 
While  I  live  will  I  praise  Jehovah." 

—Psalm  146:1,  2. 

Suggested  Activities 

Ask  the  children  to  think  over  the  stories  they  have  been 
hearing  about  how  God  takes  care  of  people  and  helps  them 
when  they  are  in  danger.  Let  them  tell  the  names  of  these 
stories.    Have  one  or  two  retold  by  the  pupils. 

Copy  one  or  more  of  the  "  praise  verses." 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  TREASURE  TROVE 
Psalm  120:1;  121:8 

Memory  Verse 

"  In  my  distress  I  cried  unto  Jehovah, 
And  he  answered  me." 

—Psalm  120:1. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Several  of  the  stories  given  under  this  theme  describe 
the  rescue  and  help  provided  at  some  time  of  desperate  need : 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  167 

Elijah  is  guided  to  find  a  safe  hiding  place  from  the  frenzied 
anger  of  Queen  Jezebel;  the  children  of  Israel  are  led  to 
safety  by  a  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire ;  Jacob  is  protected  on 
the  journey  of  flight,  and  given  encouragement  by  means  of 
a  heavenly  vision.  Let  us  try  to  instill  a  faith  in  God's  res- 
cuing power  in  the  hearts  of  our  pupils.  Very  many  beauti- 
ful examples  of  such  help  may  be  found  in  literature  and  in 
stories  from  everyday  life.  We  want  the  children  tO'  turn 
instinctively  to  God  for  help  in  all  these  times  of  distress  and 
need.  Sometimes  the  help  comes  in  a  different  manner  from 
the  way  that  we  crave  and  ask ;  but  it  comes  in  some  form, 
and  very  often  this  is  far  better  than  that  which  we  asked. 

A  story  by  Tolstoy  in  his  book  entitled  "  The  Long  Exile 
and  Other  Stories  "  is  adapted  to  show  this  truth. 

The:  Treasure  Trove 

It  was  Easter  Sunday,  and  there  was  happiness  in  all  the 
houses  along  the  village  street,  except  in  one.  In  some  of 
the  windows  bloomed  an  Easter  flower.  From  out  some  of 
the  houses  stole  the  fragrance  of  the  holiday  feast.  There 
was  rejoicing  in  every  house  save  one — the  home  of  Marya 
and  her  grandmother,  Babushka. 

"  We  will  have  no  feast  for  the  holiday,  grandmother," 
said  Marya,  sadly,  as  she  looked  out  of  the  window  at  the 
passers-by. 

"  No,  child,  there  is  nothing  for  us  but  a  bit  of  kisel  jelly 
and  tuiria.    There  is  not  even  a  bowl  of  milk." 

Marya  saw  the  children  clothed  in  new  holiday  dresses, 
and  she  began  to  cry  softly. 

Grandmother,  too,  rubbed  a  tear  from  her  cheek  as  she 
said :  "  We  will  pray  to  the  good  God  to  help  us,  Marya. 
He  will  not  forsake  us." 

Babushka  sat  thinking;  she  could  remember  what  hap- 
pened long,  long  before  Marya  was  born.  Presently  the 
tired  old  eyes  began  to  brighten,  and  then  she  exclaimed: 
"  Marya,  child,  God  has  helped  me  to  remember.  Long, 
long  ago,  when  the  French  soldiers  came  to  our  land,  under 
the  great  conquering  soldier  whom  they  called  Napoleon, 
there  was  great  fear  everywhere.  No  one  was  safe.  In 
those  dreadful  days  people  used  to  hide  their  money  in  the 
ground." 


168  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

The  old  woman  leaned  forward  as  she  spoke :  '*  We  will 
ask  God's  help.  Then  take  your  shovel  and  go  over  to  the 
place  where  once  the  old  village  stood.  You  know  where 
it  was,  child.  Dig  into  the  ground.  Perhaps  God  will  send 
us  something." 

Marya  took  her  shovel  and  left  the  house.  "  I  will  do  as 
grandmother  bade  me,"  she  cried  to  herself.  "  But  I  cannot 
hope  to  find  anything." 

She  reached  the  place  where  the  old  village  once  had 
stood.     She  dug  a  hole.    She  dug  for  quite  a  long  time. 

Presently  she  said  to  herself :  "  I  have  dug  long  enough. 
I  am  going  home  now." 

Just  then  the  shovel  knocked  against  something.  "  Click  !" 
It  was  hard.  She  leaned  over ;  she  pulled  away  the  clods  of 
dirt.    There  was  a  large  jug. 

How  she  worked  to  get  it  out  of  the  earth !  She  shook  it ; 
something  jingled. 

She  threw  down  the  shovel,  and  ran  to  her  grandmother, 
crying,  "  Babushka,  I  have  found  a  treasure !  " 

They  opened  the  jug  and  found  it  full  of  silver  coins ! 

**  We  can  have  an  Easter  feast,  now,  grandmother !  "  ex- 
claimed Marya. 

"  Yes,  child,  and  more.  We  can  buy  a  cow,  and  then  we 
may  have  milk  for  every  day.    God  has  taken  care  of  us." 

And  then  they  thanked  God  for  answering  their  prayer. 

Dkvotionai,  Service: 

During  the  week  prepare  slips  of  paper  containing  writ- 
ten, or  better,  typewritten  verses  from  The  Psalms  which 
correlate  with  this  theme,  and  which  you  have  used  during 
the  teaching  of  these  lessons.  Call  the  children  who  are  able 
to  read  before  the  class  and  let  them  read  these  verses. 
Select  only  the  simplest  of  the  Bible  verses. 

"  From  whence  shall  my  help  come? 
My  help  cometh  from  Jehovah, 
Who  made  heaven  and  earth. 

He  that  keepeth  thee  will  not  slumber. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  169 

Jehovah  is  thy  keeper: 

Jehovah  will  keep  thee  from  all  evil. 

Jehovah  will  keep  thy  going-  out  and  thy  coming  in 
From  this  time  forth  and  for  evermore." 

— Psalm  12L 

Class  sing  "  The  Doxology  "  (This  should  become  part 
of  the  "  never-to-be-forgotten  "  possessions  of  your  pupils.) 
Prayer  which  may  be  repeated  by  the  class : 
Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  remember  to  come  to  thee 
at  once  when  we  need  help  of  any  kind.  Help  us  to  remem- 
ber that  thou  art  watching  over  us  at  all  times.  We  thank 
and  praise  thee  for  thy  care.    Amen. 

Suggested  Activity 

During  the  week  save  a  number  of  pictures  which  you  can 
use  in  various  connections,  illustrations  from  old  numbers 
of  magazines,  advertisement  pictures,  and  others.  Let  the 
pupils  sort  these  and  place  in  envelopes. 

Give  each  child  a  picture  to  mount  on  a  piece  of  card- 
board or  a  folder  of  some  heavy-grade  paper.  Copy  a  Bible 
verse  under  the  mounted  picture.    Take  the  work  home. 


170  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

A  Song  to  Te:ach  with  This  Thi^me; 

danst  Zboxx  Count  tbe  Stars  ? 

Words  and  Music  from  the  German 


1.  Canst  thou    count     the 

2.  Canst  thou    count    the 

3.  Canst  thou    count    how 


iai^^ 


stars  that  night  -  ly  Glis  -  ten 
in  -  sects  play  -  ing  In  the 
ma  -  ny       chil  -  dren     Go        to 


in  the  az-  ure  sky  ?  Canst  thou  count  the  clouds,  that  lightly 
sunshine's  gold-  en  light?  Canst  thou  count  the  fish  -  es  straying 
lit  -    tie    beds  at  night?  Sleep-ing  there   so  warm  and  co  -  zy 


m^m^^ 


^-^ 


m 


^ 


-Eg: 


^^^^m 


Ev  -  ery  day     go  float  -  ing   by?     God,  the  Lord,  the   num-ber 
In      the  spark-ling  wa-  ters  bright?  God,  the  Lord,    a  name  hath 
Till    they  wake  at  morn-ing's  light?  God,  the  Lord,each  one's  name 


know-eth  Of  the  won-ders  that  he  show-eth.  Of 
giv  -  en  To  all  creatures  un  -  der  heav-  en,  To 
can 


tell.  Knows  them  all  and    loves  them  so 


the 
all 
well,Knowsthem 


i^igii 


F-^- 


ilE^ii^ 


zS- 


m 


^:&=i 


won-  ders  that  he  show-eth  In  their  countless  mul-  ti-  tades. 
crea-tures  un-  der  heav-en.  When  he  called  them  in  -  to  light, 
all     and  loves  them  so    well,  God,  the  Lord,each  name  can  tell. 

-m-       -»-      -m-      _  -»-        _        -•-       -m-       -•-     -0~       -«- 


:lr__r— 


V— t?- 


t± 


^^^ 


i^m 


CHAPTER  XIX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

LED  BY  A  PILLAR  OF  CLOUD  AND  FIRE 

Exodus  13:17-22;  Numbers  9:15-23 

Memory  Vkrse: 

"  What  time  I  am  afraid, 
I  will  put  my  trust  in  thee." 

— Psalm  56:3. 

The:  Ti:acher's  Preparation 

The  tabernacle  was  "the  dwelling  place"  of  Jehovah, 
Israel's  King;  it  was  the  "  house  of  God."  God's  wish  that 
it  should  be  constructed  was  made  known  to  Moses  at 
Mount  Sinai.  In  it  were  kept  the  tables  of  the  law  which 
God  gave  his  people  for  their  guidance  in  their  journey  and 
throughout  their  lives. 

It  was  constructed  from  materials  which  the  Israelites 
could  obtain  in  the  wilderness,  and  from  the  freewill  offer- 
ings from  their  treasures  which  they  brought  along  with 
them  out  of  Egypt.  The  acacia  tree  was  plentiful  in  the 
wilderness,  and  this  wood  was  used  for  the  woodwork,  the 
altars,  and  their  staves,  the  tables,  the  boards,  bars,  and  pil- 
lars. It  is  a  hard,  fine-grained  durable  wood,  and  was  ex- 
cellent for  this  purpose. 

The  skins  and  hair  of  the  flocks  formed  some  of  the 
material.  Gifts  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  and  linen  were  be- 
stowed freely. 

"  And  Jehovah  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Speak  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  that  they  may  take  for  me  an  offering :  of 
every  man  whose  heart  maketh  him  willing  ye  shall  take 
my  offering.  And  this  is  the  offering  which  ye  shall  take 
of  them:  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass,  and  blue,  and  purple, 
and  scarlet,  and  fine  linen,  and  goats'  hair,  and  rams'  skins 
dyed  red,  and  sealskins,  and  acacia  wood,  oil  for  the  light, 

171 


172  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

spices  for  the  anointing  oil,  and  for  the  sweet  incense,  onyx 
stones,  and  stones  to  be  set  for  the  ephod,  and  for  the 
breastplate.  And  let  them  make  a  sanctuary  that  I  may 
dwell  among  them." 

This  the  people  did,  and  the  tabernacle,  within  which  was 
the  Ark,  was  their  most  precious  possession,  the  sign  of 
God's  presence.  Everyone  had  participated  in  its  structure ; 
everyone  loved  it. 

The  directions  for  the  construction  of  the  tabernacle  were 
very  specifically  given.  The  structure  was  in  the  form  of  a 
parallelogram ;  the  whole  front  was  left  as  an  entrance  which 
consisted  of  five  pillars  overlaid  with  gold.  These  supported 
a  curtain.  Within  were  two  rooms,  the  Holy  of  Holies  and 
the  sanctuary.  Beautiful  curtains  woven  of  purple,  scarlet, 
and  blue  threads  were  hung  at  the  entrances  of  the  two 
apartments.  The  curtain  which  hung  at  the  door  of  the 
Holy  of  Holies  was  wrought  with  figures  of  cherubim.  The 
Ark  was  placed  in  the  Holy  of  Holies. 

The  tabernacle  was  inclosed  by  a  fence,  forming  a  par- 
allelogram. 

There  are  a  great  many  different  points  of  teaching  in- 
terest directly  connected  with  the  lesson.  You  may  collect 
some  interesting  facts  and  pictures  illustrating  the  country 
of  Egypt  from  which  these  people  had  fled.  Tell  something 
about  the  river  Nile  and  its  life-giving  powers  through  its 
yearly  inundations ;  tell  of  the  luxurious  gardens  in  which 
grew  the  vegetables,  leeks,  onions,  garlic,  melons,  of  which 
the  people  were  so  fond ;  tell  of  the  flowers,  especially  the 
beautiful  lotus  blossoms. 

Tell  something  of  the  peculiar  buildings  of  Egypt :  the 
Pyramids,  the  Sphinx,  the  palaces.  Tell  about  the  desert 
and  how  people  traveled  over  it.  Describe  the  camel :  its 
shape;  its  hump;  its  power  to  go  without  water;  the  pe- 
culiarity and  formation  of  its  feet. 

Tell  something  of  slavery  as  practiced  in  Oriental  coun- 
tries :  how  the  slaves  were  often  people  who  had  been  stolen 
from  other  countries  or  bought  from  traveling  merchantmen  ; 
among  these  were  often  boys  and  girls,  young  men  and 
women — some  light-haired,  fair-skinned,  and  blue-eyed ; 
some  dark-eyed  and  olive-complexioned ;  some  black.  All 
were  compelled  to  do  the  work  of  the  master  and  mistress 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  173 

to  whom  they  belonged.    This  had  been  the  condition  of  the 
"  travelers  "  about  whom  we  tell  the  children  to-day. 

Tiiri  Story 

Once  upon  a  time  there  were  some  people  who  started 
out  on  a  long,  long  journey.  There  were  ever  and  ever  and 
ever  so  many  people  who  were  going.  Fathers  and  mothers 
took  every  one  of  their  children,  even  if  there  were  four  or 
five  or  six  or  ten  children  to  get  ready.  All  the  grand- 
fathers went,  and  all  the  grandmothers. 

They  took  all  their  things  along  with  them,  too;  that  is 
all  that  they  cared  for  and  wanted  to  keep.  They  had  all 
sorts  of  bags  and  bundles,  for  they  took  everything  from  a 
big  water  jar  that  looked  like  this  (draw)  and  a  big  mill  to 
grind  the  grain  that  looked  like  this  (draw)  to  the  lovely 
gold  earrings  and  the  bracelets  that  the  mothers  wore  when 
they  were  dressed  up  on  a  holiday. 

Another  strange  thing  about  the  journey  was  that  the 
people  started  in  the  nighttime ;  they  hurried  to  get  ready, 
and  they  ate  their  last  supper  in  great  haste  after  they  were 
all  ready  with  their  traveling  shoes  on  their  feet.  It  was  a 
very  plain  meal  such  as  the  mothers  could  prepare  in  a 
hurry. 

Perhaps  you  have  guessed  it — these  people  were  running 
away.  They  were  running  away  from  the  land  of  Egypt 
where  Pharaoh  was  the  cruel  king  and  had  made  them  his 
slaves.  The  king  had  made  them  do  the  work  in  his  land. 
Many  of  the  fathers  were  builders  of  the  great  buildings  and 
makers  of  brick.  Pharaoh  had  been  very  unkind  to  them. 
He  had  put  overseers  to  spy  upon  their  work  and  punish 
them  if  they  were  slow  or  made  mistakes. 

"  Faster  !  Faster  !  Faster  !  "  the  overseers  would  cry. 
Sometimes  they  would  beat  the  fathers  if  they  were  not 
pleased  with  the  work.  The  fathers  were  always  very,  very 
tired  when  they  came  home. 

The  people  were  the  children  of  Israel,  God's  chosen 
people.  He  had  seen  their  troubles ;  he  had  heard  their 
prayers  for  help.  Now  he  had  sent  Moses  to  lead  them  out 
of  Pharaoh's  land.  God  promised  to  help  them  and  protect 
them  on  the  long  journey.  So  they  started  and  went  on  and 
on  and  on  day  after  day,   week  after   week,  month  after 


174  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

month.  God  promised  to  bring  them  at  last  to  a  beautiful 
land  which  was  to  be  a  new  home  for  them.  They  called  it 
their  "  Promised  Land." 

The  very  dearest  and  most  precious  thing  that  these 
people  had  was  the  Ark.  It  was  a  beautiful  golden  box 
carried  by  long  handles,  in  it  were  kept  the  stones  upon 
which  were  written  the  Commandments  which  God  gave  to 
Moses  for  the  people  to  learn  and  to  obey.  The  people  built 
a  building  in  which  to  keep  this  Ark,  which  could  be  set  up 
or  pulled  down  as  they  traveled  along  the  way.  It  was 
called  "  the  tabernacle."  It  was  God's  house.  He  promised 
to  go  with  them,  and  be  with  them  all  along  the  journey. 
This  was  his  house.  The  people  made  it  as  beautiful  and 
rich  as  they  could. 

It  was  made  of  fine  pieces  of  wood,  and  the  columns  were 
covered  with  gold.  There  were  lovely  curtains  woven  of 
threads  of  purple  and  scarlet  and  blue.  There  w^ere  splendid 
trimmings  of  gold  and  silver  and  precious  stones.  The 
people  gave  these  precious  things  to  make  God's  house 
beautiful. 

They  took  the  Ark  and  the  house  of  God  along  with  them 
whenever  they  went.    And  God  went  with  them. 

And  now  comes  another  wonderful  part  of  the  story: 
God  put  a  bright  cloud  in  the  sky  to  lead  the  Israelites  safely 
in  the  direction  that  he  wanted  them  to  go,  the  safe  way 
toward  the  land  that  he  was  going  to  give  them  for  the 
beautiful  new  home.  This  cloud  was  like  a  pillar  of  fire  at 
night,  and  moved  before  the  people.  If  God  wanted  them 
to  rest,  the  cloud  of  fire  stood  still;  the  people  pitched  their 
tents  and  went  to  sleep  in  the  nighttime  feeling  quite  safe, 
because  they  knew  that  God  was  taking  care  of  them. 

In  the  daytime  the  pillar  of  fire  became  like  a  cloud 
again,  and  it,  too,  moved  before  them  to  show  the  way.  If 
the  cloud  stopped  in  the  daytime,  the  people  knew  that  God 
wanted  them  to  wait. 

Sometimes  the  cloud  stood  still  for  a  week  or  for  a  month, 
and  the  people  remained  in  that  place.  As  long  as  it  rested, 
the  people  knew  that  God  did  not  wish  them  to  go  on.  But 
as  soon  as  the  pillar  of  fire  or  the  cloud  began  to  move,  the 
people  took  down  the  tents,  folded  up  the  mats,  rolled  up 
their  bundles,  drove  on  the  flocks,  and  moved  forward.    God 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  175 

was  taking  care  of  them  in  this  wonderful  way,  and  show- 
ing them  the  right  path. 

De:votional  Service: 

a  reading  lesson  for  the  blackboard 

"  God  is  love." 

"  And  thine  ears  shall  hear  a  word  behind  thee,  saying, 
This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it." 

"  Jehovah  is  good  to  all." 

"  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  Jehovah  pitieth 
them  that  fear  him." 


Suggested  Activities 

Let  the  children  line  up  and  march  round  the  room  as  you 
play  some  simj:)le  march  music.  When  the  music  stops,  they 
are  to  stop  instantly,  and  OBEY.     Repeat  several  times. 

Copy  one  or  more  of  the  verses  from  the  Reading  Lesson. 

A  collection  of  money  might  be  taken  to  buy  the  flowers 
for  "  God's  House  "  for  some  following  Sunday. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  SWISS  WOOD  CARVER 
Psalm  23.     (I  Kings  19:9-12.    For  the  teacher.) 
Memory  Verse 
"  This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it." — Isaiah  30:21. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

There  should  be  a  place  under  this  theme  where  we  may 
help  the  children  to  see  that  the  help  and  the  protection  which 
God  gives  in  time  of  trouble  is  sometimes  not  such  as  they 
would  have  chosen  for  themselves.  It  is  a  very  difficult  les- 
son to  learn :  that  our  own  way  is  not  always  the  wise  way ; 
that  we  ourselves  are  often  not  able  to  know  that  out  of  our 
very  difficulties  good  may  come.     Elijah  was  clearly  shown 


176  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

this  after  his  period  of  complete  discouragement  and  his 
flight  into  the  cave. 

'*  What  doest  thou  here,  EHjah  ?  "  came  the  word  of  God. 

"  I  have  been  very  jealous  for  Jehovah,  the  God  of  hosts ; 
for  the  children  of  Israel  have  forsaken  thy  covenant, 
thrown  down  thine  altars,  and  slain  thy  prophets  with  the 
sword:  and  I,  even  I  only,  am  left;  and  they  seek  my  life  to 
take  it  away,"  answered  the  man  who  was  frightened,  dis- 
couraged, and  in  need  of  help. 

God  gave  the  lesson :  the  way  was  neither  in  the  wind,  in 
the  earthquake,  nor  in  the  fire.  He  had  another  way,  the 
best  way,  that  Elijah  had  not  fathomed. 

Show  this  thought  by  means  of  the  story  of  *'  The  Swiss 
Wood  Carver."  ^ 

The:  Story 

Rubi  was  a  little  boy  who  lived  in  a  country  called 
Switzerland.  When  he  looked  out  of  his  window  he  could 
see  a  great,  tall  mountain.  The  top  of  the  mountain  seemed 
away  up  in  the  sky.  Indeed,  the  peak  was  higher  up  than 
some  of  the  clouds. 

Now  perhaps  you  know  that  it  is  cold,  very  cold  away  up 
high,  high  in  the  air — and  always  the  top  of  the  mountain 
was  covered  with  snow.  And  what  storms  they  had  in  the 
wintertime ! 

The  sides  of  the  mountain  were  very  steep  and  hard  to 
climb.  It  was  easy  to  lose  your  way  if  you  tried  to  reach 
the  top.  There  were  dangerous  rocks,  and  narrow,  rough 
places  where  you  could  slip  and  fall  and  hurt  yourself. 
Sometimes  even  big  men  lost  their  way,  or  were  hurt  by  falls, 
or  even  killed.  But,  nevertheless,  it  was  splendid  fun  to 
climb,  and  how  far,  very  far  over  the  world  about  you  could 
see  when  you  reached  the  top!  How  wonderful  the  sky 
looked  !    And  the  sunrise !    And  the  sunset ! 

Oh,  it  was  such  fun  to  climb  the  mountain  just  outside 
Rubi's  home,  that  men  and  women  came  from  far  countries 
to  do  it.  But  they  had  to  have  a  guide  to  show  them  the 
way,  and  help  them  over  the  rough  places.     Rubi's  father 


1  Reprinted   from   "  Worth   While   Stories."     Used  by  permission 
of  the  author  and  the  publishers,  the  Milton  Bradley  Company. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  177 

was  a  good  guide;  he  had  been  to  the  top  of  the  mountain 
many  times.    Rubi  himself  knew  the  paths  very  well. 

That  is,  Rubi  himself  had  Ijeen  there  many  times  before 
he  had  had  his  fall.  Once  he  had  stumbled  and  fallen  and 
hurt  himself.  Since  that  time  he  had  been  a  Httle  crippled 
boy.    All  his  life  he  would  have  to  use  crutches. 

Rubi's  mother  was  a  lace  maker  and  when  the  work  in  the 
little  cottage  was  done,  she  made  yards  and  yards  of  beauti- 
ful lace  to  sell. 

Day  after  day  poor  Rubi  sat  and  watched  the  goats  that 
fed  on  the  hillsides.  Sometimes  he  saw  a  chamois  on  the 
far-away  cliffs. 

His  father  would  sigh  as  he  saw  his  little  son  sitting  by 
the  window  or  hobbling  on  his  crutches.  "  My  poor  little 
son !  What  would  become  of  him  if  anything  were  to  hap- 
pen to  me!  Who  would  take  care  of  him?  Who  would 
take  care  of  him?  " 

One  day  Rubi's  mother  saw  a  toy  goat  carved  from  wood 
in  a  shop  in  the  little  village.  She  bought  it  and  took  it 
home  to  her  little  son. 

"  Why,  mother,  I  believe  I  could  make  a  better  goat  than 
that."  His  mother  was  glad  to  fmd  something  that  he  wished 
to  do — something  that  would  make  the  long  hours  seem 
shorter.  She  bought  him  some  tools  and  gave  him  some 
wood. 

He  began  to  carve  animals.  Every  one  he  did  was  bet- 
ter than  the  last.  He  loved  his  work,  and  his  face  grew 
brighter  and  happier.    He  kept  his  work  a  secret. 

"  Some  day,"  thought  Rubi,  "  I  will  be  able  to  make  such 
a  fine  piece  of  work  that  I  can  sell  it  and  help  my  father  and 
mother." 

One  day  Rubi's  father  had  a  bad  fall  on  the  mountain 
side.  His  leg  was  broken,  and  he  was  laid  up  for  a  long 
time.  He  was  sorrier  than  ever  for  his  little  son,  and  he 
thought,  "  What  would  become  of  my  lame  boy  if  I  should 
never  be  able  to  take  care  of  him  again  ?  " 

The  poor  mother  sold  her  lace,  but  it  was  very  hard  to 
live  in  the  little  cottage  during  those  days.  Rubi  was  be- 
ginning to  sell  just  a  few  of  his  carved  animal  toys  to  the 
dealer  in  the  village,  but  the  man  did  not  pay  very  much. 

One  day  a  traveler  came  to  the  door.  In  his  hand  he  had 
a  beautiful  carved  chamois  climbing  a  rock. 


178  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  I  am  looking  for  the  man  who  carved  this,"  he  said. 
"  Does  he  hve  here?  " 

Rubi's  father  looked  at  the  beautiful  work.  "  No,  sir, 
none  of  us  here  could  do  such  carving  as  that." 

Rubi  came  along  on  his  crutches  just  then,  and  saw  the 
chamois,  and  heard  the  man's  question. 

"  I  did  that  myself  a  year  ago,  but  I  can  do  better  now," 
he  said. 

How  surprised  the  man  was !  How  surpised  Rubi's 
father  was !  Rubi  then  showed  them  many  other  beautiful 
things  he  had  made — goats  and  bears  and  dogs  and  horses 
— all  kinds  of  toys  that  he  had  carved.  He  had  put  them 
away  in  a  box  that  his  mother  had  given  him. 

The  traveler  was  one  of  the  great  dealers  in  carved  woods. 
"  You  must  go  with  me  and  work  in  my  shop,"  he  said  to 
Rubi. 

So  Rubi  went  with  the  man,  and  became  one  of  the 
greatest  of  all  the  wood  carvers.  He  was  able  to  take  care 
of  himself  and  buy  many  comfortable  things  for  the  good 
father  and  mother  back  in  the  little  cottage.  He  was  happy 
because  he  had  learned  to  help  himself. 

Do  you  not  think  that  was  a  beautiful  way  that  God  took 
care  of  a  poor  little  lame  boy  ? 

Aftkr  thic  Story 

Although  the  burden  of  lameness  was  not  taken  away 
from  the  boy,  he  was  given  strength  to  bear  it ;  he  was  given 
something  which  gave  him  a  light  heart  and  a  power  to  do, 
that  made  the  load  easy  to  carry. 

De;votional  Si:rvice^ 

some:  si:nte:ncks  in  thk  bibi^e:  about  god^s  car^ 

Write  or  typewrite  these  Bible  verses  for  the  children 
to  read. 

*'  The  Lord  is  my  helper ;  I  will  not  fear." 

"  I  will  not  fail  thee." 

"  He  will  keep  the  feet  of  his  holy  ones." 

"  Goodness  and  lovingkindness  shall  follow  me." 

"  I  have  commanded  the  ravens  to  feed  thee." 

"  Cast  thy  burden  on  the  Lord." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  179 

A  i.e;sson  from  the  biblk  read  by  the  teacher 
Mark  9:17-27 

Songs 

« 

"He  Cares  for  Me,"  ("How  Strong  and  Sweet  My 
Father's  Care,")  from  "  The  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal." 

"  God  Is  Always  Near  Us,"  from  "  The  Primary  and 
Junior  Hymnal." 

Prayer 

Heavenly  Father,  we  have  been  hearing  many  stories 
about  thy  loving  care  and  protection.  Sometimes  the  care 
comes  in  a  different  way  from  the  way  that  we  ask,  but  we 
know  that  thy  way  is  best.  We  thank  and  praise  thee  for 
this  help.    Amen. 

Suggested  Activities 

Something  done  by  the  class  for  a  sick  or  a  lame  child : 
a  gift  of  a  box  of  animal  toys;  a  box  of  tools  or  paints; 
some  pictures  to  cut  out,  such  as  the  supplements  to  the 
illustrated  magazines. 


CHAPTER  XX 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Genesis,  chapter  28 

Memory  Verse 

"  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  whithersoever  thou 
goest.'' — Genesis  28:15. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

The  story  of  "  Jacob's  Ladder,"  the  story  of  "  The  Chil- 
dren of  Israel  Led  by  a  Pillar  of  Cloud  and  Fire,"  and  the 
story  of  "  A  Lonely  Hiding  Place,"  are  given  to  help  the 
children  to  catch  the  thought  that  God  not  only  sends  help 
and  protection  through  human  agency,  but  that  that  help 
sometimes  comes  in  wonderful  and  unexpected  ways,  ways 
unexplainable. 

Jacob  and  Esau  were  the  twin  sons  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah ; 
but  to  Esau  the  birthright  and  its  benefits  were  considered  to 
belong,  as  was  the  custom  amongst  the  Israelites  regarding 
the  eldest  son.  Jacob  was  the  mother's  favorite  son,  how- 
ever, and  through  strategem,  the  blessing  was  bestowed  upon 
him.  The  teacher  should  reread  the  account  in  Genesis, 
chapter  27,  in  order  to  have  the  facts  clear,  though  the  story 
need  not  be  fully  told  to  the  children. 

Considering  the  character  of  the  two  sons,  it  would  be 
more  possible  for  Jacob  to  develop  the  promise  which  God 
had  made  to  his  grandfather  Abraham,  so  many  years  be- 
fore, than  for  Esau.  In  obedience  to  God's  command,  he 
had  emigrated  from  Ur  in  Chaldea  and  come  to  the  land  of 
Canaan,  receiving  the  promise  that  he  should  be  the  founder 
of  a  great  nation. 

But  much  change  in  Jacob's  nature  had  to  be  wrought 
before  he  was  fit  to  become  a  part  of  God's  plan  for  him, 
and  God's  power  is  shown  in  bringing  about  such  a  modifi- 
cation in  character.    Jacob  was  a  selfish,  grasping  man,  will- 

180 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  181 

ing  to  stoop  to  the  lowest  trick  in  order  to  make  a  good 
bargain  for  himself.  Then,  afraid  to  face  the  fury  of  his 
brother's  threats  when  his  contemptible  trick  had  become 
known,  he  had  to  flee  for  his  life. 

All  the  needed  characteristics  for  the  founder  of  a  great 
race  were  dormant,  and  it  took  God  to  find  them  out,  and 
make  their  development  possible.  This  awakening  of  the 
dormant  good  in  the  man's  nature  was  the  way  in  which  God 
took  care  of  Jacob. 

Look  for  a  moment  at  the  characters  dwelling  in  that  tent 
in  Canaan :  Isaac,  the  father  of  the  family,  was  a  dreamer,  a 
man  who  was  not  naturally  one  who  took  the  initiative ;  Re- 
bekah,  the  mother,  evidently  was  the  leader.  Although  the 
two  sons  were  twins,  they  were  very  unlike  in  character. 
Esau  was  a  gay  sportsman  and  hunter,  living  in  the  joys  of 
the  moment ;  Jacob  was  a  thoughtful  calculator,  looking  far 
into  the  future  for  what  would  bring  him  gain.  Both  sons 
let  their  special  character  traits  so  dominate  their  lives  that 
what  would  naturally  have  been  only  a  distinguishing  feature 
became  an  obsession,  and  in  each  case  led  to  sin. 

Teacher's  Aim 
Our  aim  is  to  teach  about  the  loving  care  and  protection 
of  God.    But  there  are  secondary  lessons  of  such  importance 
that  he  should  not  let  them  pass :  The  sins  of  lying  and  de- 
ceit fulness  and  selfishness  broke  up  a  home. 

The  Story 

A  long,  long  time  ago  there  were  two  brothers  who  lived 
in  a  tent.  It  was  a  big,  black  tent  and  very  strong.  Their 
father,  Isaac,  had  a  great  many  sheep  and  goats  which 
pastured  on  the  grass  outside  in  the  meadows. 

Inside  there  were  plenty  of  soft  fur  rugs,  and  also  rugs 
of  wool  which  their  mother,  Rebekah,  wove  from  the  hair 
of  the  sheep  and  the  goats.  When  Jacob  and  Esau  were 
very  little  boys  and  were  tired  of  play,  their  mother  would 
unroll  a  soft  rug,  and  make  a  bed,  and  put  them  on  it  to 
sleep. 

When  Jacob  and  Esau  were  little  boys,  their  good  old 
grandfather  was  still  living  with  them,  and  he  often  told 
them  a  wonderful  story  of  how  he  and  their  grandmother 


182  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

had  left  the  home  where  they  once  had  Hved,  and  how  God 
had  spoken  to  him  and  talked  to  him,  and  told  him  to  look 
up  at  the  stars  in  the  heavens.  At  that  time  God  had  made  a 
wonderful  promise  to  their  grandfather  Abraham,  and  the 
family  were  proud  of  it  and  often  thought  and  talked  of  it. 
God  had  said :  "  I  will  be  with  thee.  I  will  make  a  great 
people  of  thy  family,  if  thou  wilt  obey  me." 

Very  often  twin  children  look  alike;  sometimes  you  can 
hardly  tell  them  apart.  But  these  two  brothers  were  not  like 
that ;  they  were  very  different.  Esau  was  strong  and  sturdy 
and  full  of  fun.  He  liked  to  go  out  in  the  fields  to  hunt. 
He  liked  to  have  a  good  time  without  thinking  much  how  it 
came.  Jacob  was  more  quiet  and  thoughtful ;  he  was  a 
bright  boy,  and  hked  to  get  as  many  good  things  for  himself 
as  possible.    He  was  very  smart  at  a  good  bargain. 

Sometimes  these  two  brothers  did  not  agree  very  well. 
When  they  grew  to  be  young  men  they  were  more  unlike 
each  other  than  ever. 

One  day  they  had  a  dreadful  quarrel ;  Esau  became  so 
angry  that  he  threatened  to  kill  his  brother.  But  the  begin- 
ning of  the  quarrel  was  Jacob's  fault. 

It  was  no  longer  safe  for  Jacob  to  live  at  home.  His 
mother  said,  "  My  son,  you  must  go  and  stay  with  your 
uncle  for  a  while." 

Then  the  father  who  was  old  and  feeble  and  almost  blind, 
called  Jacob  to  him  and  blessed  him,  and  kissed  him  good-by. 
He  said,  "  May  God's  blessing  rest  upon  thee,  my  son,"  and 
he  spoke  to  his  boy  about  the  wonderful  promise  that  went 
with  the  blessing,  the  promise  that  God  had  given  to  his 
grandfather,  Abraham,  and  that  was  now  passed  on  to  him. 

So  the  young  man  kissed  his  mother  good-by.  She 
watched  him  from  the  tent  door  as  long  as  she  could  see 
him.  She  loved  Jacob  very  dearly.  And  well  might  she  be 
sad,  for  she  was  never  to  see  her  boy  again. 

Jacob  traveled  along  alone ;  he  hurried  quite  fast,  at  first, 
for  he  did  not  want  Esau  to  catch  him.  But  by  and  by  he 
began  to  walk  more  slowly,  and  as  he  walked,  he  began  to 
think. 

"  What  a  mean  brother  I  have  been  !  It  was  I  who  started 
the  quarrel !  I  wanted  to  get  the  better  of  Esau."  Then  he 
remembered  how  he  had  always  been  quite  willing  to  get  the 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  183 

best  of  everything  for  himself.  He  remembered  how  once 
he  had  cheated  his  father,  and  had  pretended  that  he  was 
his  brother.  He  did  this  because  he  wanted  his  father  to 
give  him  a  blessing  instead  of  giving  it  to  Esau.  It  was  easy 
to  cheat  his  father,  for  he  was  old  and  almost  blind ;  he  had 
to  feel  to  tell  his  sons  apart. 

"  I  have  been  very  selfish.  I  am  ashamed  that  I  cheated 
my  blind  father,"  he  thought  sadly. 

He  trudged  along,  and  at  last  he  became  very  tired.  It 
was  toward  evening,  and  the  stars  were  beginning  to  peep 
out  in  the  sky.  How  wide  and  wonderful  the  sky  looked  that 
night !  How  still  God's  workl  seemed  !  As  Jacob  looked  up 
into  the  sky,  he  began  to  think  about  God ;  he  thought  of  the 
promise  that  God  had  made  to  Abraham,  his  grandfather. 
Jacob  began  to  love  God  very  dearly  as  he  thought  of  him 
that  night.    He  wanted  to  be  a  better  man. 

Then  he  grew  tired,  but  there  was  no  bed.  He  thought 
of  the  soft  mats  in  the  tent,  that  his  mother  had  made. 
However,  he  must  sleep.  He  gathered  a  pile  of  stones  for 
a  pillow,  and  lay  down  to  rest. 

Soon  he  was  fast  asleep.  Then  a  beautiful  dream  came 
to  him.  A  ladder  appeared  to  stretch  from  the  earth  where 
he  lay  asleep,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  up  into  heaven. 
Then  he  saw  the  angels  of  God  walking  up  and  down 
upon  it. 

God  stood  above  it  and  said :  "  I  am  the  God  of  thy 
father,  Isaac;  I  am  the  God  of  thy  grandfather,  Abraham. 
I  will  take  care  of  thee,  Jacob.  This  land  upon  which  thou 
art  lying  I  will  give  to  thee  and  to  thy  children."  Then  God 
continued :  *'  I  am  with  thee,  Jacob.  ^  I  will  keep  thee  in  all 
places  withersoever  thou  goest.  I  will  not  leave  thee.  I  will 
keep  my  promise  to  thee." 

Then  Jacob  awoke  from  his  beautiful  dream.  He  did  not 
feel  alone  any  longer.  He  made  up  his  mind  to  try  to  be 
less  selfish  and  a  better  man.  "  This  is  the  gate  of  heaven," 
he  said  to  himself.  He  gathered  together  the  stones  which 
he  had  used  for  a  pillow ;  he  made  an  altar.  He  then  poured 
oil  upon  it,  and  made  an  offering  to  God.  He  promised  God 
to  give  his  life  and  his  heart  to  him  forever  and  ever.  "  God 
shall  be  my  God  as  long  as  I  live,"  he  said,  and  he  promised 
to  give  a  tenth  of  all  that  he  ever  should  have  to  God. 


184  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

De:votionai,  Service 
(A  Short  Reading  Lesson  for  the  Blackboard) 

"  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  withersoever  thou 
goest." 

"  He  careth  for  thee." 

"  Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us." 

Teach  two  verses  of  the  hymn,  **  Nearer,  My  God,  to 
Thee."  Explain  the  second  verse  and  make  a  close  correla- 
tion with  the  lesson.  The  children  cannot  fail  to  see  the 
connection 


Suggested  Activities 

Set  up  a  tent.  Use  different  length  pins  to  stick  in  a  soft 
board,  or  different  length  sticks  in  the  sand  table.  A  tall 
"  tent  pole  "  forms  the  center  support ;  then  arrange  shorter 
poles  on  each  side.  Stretch  over  these  the  "  tent  cloth,"  and 
fasten  down  the  ends  in  the  sand  or  board. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

GRANDFATHER  ROGERSON'S  GIFT  TO  THE 
PATON  FAMILY 

Psalm  146:5-10 
Memory  Verse 
"  Thou  givest  them  their  food  in  due  season." 

—Psalm  145:15. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Spend  the  lesson  period  to-day  in  describing  again  how 
God  t.'ikes  care  of  the  primitive  needs  of  his  children,  often 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  185 

sending  help  in  unexpected  ways.  Take  for  the  Bible  lesson 
the  portion  of  Psalm  146  which  tells  of  God's  bounty. 

A  fine  lesson  story  may  be  prepared  from  that  incident 
recorded  by  John  G.  Paton  in  his  "  Autobiography  "  which 
tells  of.  the  need  of  food  in  the  little  thatched  cottage  in 
Scotland  during  the  absence  of  his  father,  the  mother's  fine 
faith,  and  the  answer  to  her  prayers. 

With  this  lesson  use  The  Lord's  Prayer  stressing  the 
phrase  "  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread."  Teach  a  grace 
and  tell  why  '*  the  blessing  "  should  be  said  at  table. 

The  Story 

Five  brothers  and  sisters !  What  a  good  time  they  had 
in  the  little  thatched  cottage  in  the  bonnie  land  of  Scotland ! 
It  would  almost  seem  as  if  the  little  house  would  tumble 
down  with  so  many  lively  inmates,  but  it  was  made  of  good, 
stout  oaken  timbers  that  had  stood  many  and  many  a  year 
before  it  became  the  home  of  little  curlyheaded  Johnny 
Paton  and  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

The  room  where  mother  could  always  be  found  was 
kitchen  and  living  room  all  in  one.  But  it  was  very  clean  and 
bright  and  neat.  Not  one  of  those  children  ever  forgot  that 
room  where  mother  was  always  to  be  found.  Johnny  said 
so  years  and  years  afterwards  when  he  was  a  grown-up  man, 
a  man  with  white  hair  and  a  long,  gray  beard,  and  had  come 
back  from  teaching  the  wild  men  in  a  very  far-away  island 
where  he  went  to  tell  the  same  Bible  stories  that  his  mother 
had  often  told  them  while  they  sat  round  the  kitchen  fire. 

There  was  another  room  where  father  could  be  found, 
most  of  the  time.  This  room  was  quite  big,  and  there  was 
machinery  in  it,  that  went  whir,  whir,  whir,  hour  after  hour. 
Father  made  fine,  stout,  strong  stockings  for  the  Scottish 
folk  in  the  village  and  in  the  other  towns  round  about. 
Never  any  complaints  about  dropped  stitches  or  weak  places 
in  Johnny  Paton's  father's  work !  Neither  was  there  anv 
grumbling  about  the  work  that  Johnny  did  to  help  father, 
when  he  grew  old  enough. 

There  was  one  other  room  in  the  thatched  cottage,  a  little 
room,  and  in  it  was  a  Book,  the  very  dear  possession  of  the 
Patons,  the  family  Bible;  it  rested  on  a  table.     Very  often 


186  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

father  stole  away  alone  into  the  little  room,  and  then  the 
children  knew  that  he  was  praying  to  God.  Oftentimes  the 
family  gathered  there  together  while  father  read  to  them 
or  had  family  prayers. 

None  of  the  family  ever  forgot  that  room  where  father 
often  went,  either,  for  Johnny  said  so  when  he  came  home 
from  teaching  the  wild  men,  years  and  years  afterwards, 
when  he  had  grown  gray  and  learned  and  altogether  a  great 
man. 

And  then  there  was  the  garden :  a  picket  gate  led  into  it ; 
the  bees  hummed  over  the  heather  blossoms,  and  other  old- 
fashioned  flowers ;  you  could  see  a  mill  not  far  away. 
Johnny  never  forgot  that,  either,  for  he  said  so  when  he 
was  the  great  John  G.  Paton,  come  home  on  a  visit  from 
teaching  about  God,  and  saying  the  prayers  that  he  had 
learned  from  his  father,  away  out  in  the  islands  where  the 
wild  men  were  trying  to  learn  about  God,  because  he  had 
taught  them. 

One  year  the  gardens  in  bonnie  Scotland  did  not  grow  so 
well  as  usual ;  there  were  few  potatoes ;  and  the  other  crops 
were  poor.  This  made  John's  mother  look  very  sober,  some- 
times, when  she  was  cooking  the  dinner,  because  it  takes  a 
great  many  potatoes,  and  a  great  many  slices  of  bread,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  other  things,  to  feed  a  big  family  of 
children.  John's  father  made  the  wheels  of  the  machine  fly 
as  steadily  and  as  fast  as  he  could — and  he  wove  a  great 
many  stockings. 

One  day  he  went  to  another  town  with  a  great  load  of 
the  finished  stockings.  "  When  I  come  home,  wee  Jen'  "  he 
said  to  mother — for  that  is  what  he  called  her — "  I  will 
have  money,  and  plenty  to  eat  for  the  bairns." 

Then  he  said  good-by  to  all  the  children  and  hurried  away. 

But  the  meal  barrel  was  very  low,  and  so  was  the  potato 
barrel ;  and  try  as  mother  did,  she  could  not  make  the  food 
last.  Perhaps  the  children  were  unusually  hungry.  At  any 
rate  the  food  was  gone. 

Mother  was  too  proud  to  tell  anyone,  or  to  ask  for  food 
from  the  neighbors.  But  she  knew  where  she  could  ask  for 
help,  and  she  felt  sure  she  would  get  it,  though  she  did  not 
know  just  how. 

"  Go  to  bed,  dear  bairns,"  she  coaxed.    "  I  have  told  God 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  187 

all  about  It ;  he  knows  that  the  food  is  gone.  He  will  take 
care  of  us." 

Now,  over  in  Lockerbie,  a  pleasant  Httle  village,  lived 
mother's  father.  Just  at  that  time  he  was  thinking  of  his 
daughter  and  John,  and  all  the  little  grandchildren,  and 
he  was  packing  a  bag  of  new  potatoes,  a  jar  of  the  first 
ground  meal  of  the  season  that  had  just  come  home  from  the 
mill,  and  some  of  his  delicious  homemade  cheese. 

In  the  morning  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  mother 
opened  it.  There  stood  the  carrier  with  Grandfather  Roger- 
son's  gift. 

Mother  opened  the  bag.  "  Some  of  grandfather's  new 
potatoes !  And  here  is  a  jar  of  ground  meal  from  the  old 
mill,  the  first  of  the  season!  And  here  is  some  fresh 
cheese !  " 

Big  eyes  looked  in  wonder  from  the  bag  and  jar  and 
bundles  of  good  things,  up  into  mother's  face. 

Mother  saw  the  children  were  thinking  of  the  quick  answer 
to  her  prayers. 

"  O  my  children,"  she  said,  "  love  your  heavenly  Father. 
Tell  him  in  faith  and  prayer  all  your  needs,  and  he  will 
supply  your  wants  so  far  as  it  shall  be  for  your  good  and 
his  glory." 

John  never  forgot  those  words  of  his  mother. 

Devotional  Service) 

Read  the  psalm  selected  for  the  lesson  material.  Select 
verses  such  as  the  following  and  place  on  the  board  before 
the  opening  of  the  session,  for  a  Reading  Lesson. 

"  Happy  is  he  that  hath  the  God  of  Jacob  for  his  help, 

Who  made  heaven  and  earth, 
The  sea  and  all  that  in  them  is; 
Who  keepeth  truth  for  ever; 

Who  giveth  food  to  the  hungry,  .  .  . 

Praise  ye  Jehovah." 


188  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Chant:  The  Doxology. 

Repeat  the  Bible  Reading. 

Song  :  A  praise  song  chosen  by  the  children. 

Prayer:  The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Suggested  Activities 

Collect  and  make  up  a  "  surprise  bag  "  for  some  needy 
child  or  aged  person.  Let  the  children  actually  plan  and 
participate. 

Copy  the  last  verse  of  the  Bible  reading. 

Copy  and  learn  the  following  grace : 

A  Child's  Noonday  Grace 

Lord,  bless  this  meat  that  we  shall  eat, 

This  bread  that  we  shall  break; 
Make  all  our  actions  kind  and  sweet, 

We  ask,  for  Jesus'  sake. 

— WitBUR  D.  Nesbit. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

REVIEW:  DRAMATIZATION  OF  "GRANDFATHER 
ROGERSON'S  GIFT  TO  THE  PATON  FAMILY  " 

(Suggested  by  an  incident  told  in  John  G.  Paton's 
autobiography) 

The  Story  of  Lesson  XX.    Bible  verses  selected  from  the 
Devotional  services  of  Lessons  XV  to  XX. 

Mkmory  Vkrse^ 
"  Thou  givest  them  their  food  in  due  season." 

—Psalm  145:15. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

At  this  point  devote  two  lessons  to  a  review  of  the  theme 
"God  the  Protector."  Write  on  the  blackboard  the  ques- 
tion :  "  From  whence  shall  my  help  come  ?  "  Remind  the 
children  of  the  stories  that  they  have  heard  from  week  to 
week,  which  will  make  them  able  to  answer  this  question. 
They  surely  will  be  able  to  give  you  the  answer  that  you 
expect.  Then  ask  them  to  try  to  give  the  answer  in  the 
form  of  one  of  the  Memory  Verses  or  reading  lesson  Bible 
verses  that  they  have  been  studying.  Write  two  or  more 
upon  the  blackboard  as  the  children  repeat  them — such 
verses  as 

"  Jehovah  is  thy  keeper." 

"  I  am  with  thee." 

"  I  will  not  leave  thee." 

Ask  the  children  to  tell  you  the  names  of  some  people 
whom  God  protected,  about  whom  the  Bible  tells  us. 

Ask  them  if  they  remember  some  other  people  whom  God 
protected,  and  spend  a  few  moments  in  talking  over  several 
of  the  characters  in  your  illustrative  stories.  Ask  if  they 
would  like  to  "  act  out  "  one  of  these  stories  to-day. 

The  two  stories  selected  for  dramatization  are  "  Grand- 

189 


190  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

father  Rogerson's  Gift  to  the  Paton  Family,"  for  the  Week- 
Day  Session,  and  "  The  Story  of  the  Baby  Moses  "  for  the 
Sunday  Session. 

Grandfather  Rogerson's  Gift  to  the  Paton  Family 

Children  like  to  "  play  house  "  and  their  imaginations  and 
suggestions  will  carry  them  far  in  this  little  dramatic  per- 
formance. Any  way  that  will  be  possible  for  you  to  make 
three  divisions  representing  the  three  mentioned  rooms  in 
the  Paton  cottage  will  sufhce.  A  Department  table  may  be 
set  with  a  toy  tea  set  belonging  to  one  of  the  children,  and 
other  "  stage  property  "  quickly  gathered  by  the  children 
themselves  may  represent  the  "  kitchen  "  and  "  living  room  " 
where  Mother  Paton  was  always  to  be  found. 

The  boys  will  improvise  something  with  "  wheels "  to 
turn,  if  it  is  only  a  wheelbarrow  turned  upside  down,  to 
represent  the  shop.  Another  small  room  contains  the  table 
wnth  the  Bible  resting  upon  it,  and  several  of  the  small 
chairs  of  the  Primary  Department.  The  garden  may  be 
represented  by  a  gay  wall-paper  background  such  as  you 
may  buy  in  some  of  the  large  stores,  with  a  few  potted 
plants  in  front,  or  may  be  just  an  imaginary  garden. 

Use  the  gifts  which  you  have  gathered  for  your  "  sur- 
prise "  basket. 

Possibly,  instead  of  using  both  these  dramatizations,  you 
may  choose  one,  giving  more  time  for  elaboration,  and  ask 
some  of  the  fathers  and  mothers  and  church  people  to  attend 
the  second  and  more  perfected  session. 

The  Characters 

Father  Paton,  a  larger  boy. 

Mother  Paton,  a  larger  girl. 

Johnny  Paton  and  several  other  children. 

The  Carrier. 

Part  I 

(Father  Paton  is  in  the  workroom  alone,  busily  turning 
his  wheel.  Mother  Paton  and  the  children  are  in  the  kitchen, 
Mother  Paton  working,  and  the  children  in  various  attitudes. 
All  sing  to  piano  accompaniment  "  O  Where  and  O  Where 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  191 

Has  My  Highland  Laddie  Gone?"  or  some  other  well- 
known  Scotch  song.  If  the  children  cannot  sing  this,  the 
song  may  be  played  upon  the  piano,  or  sung  by  a  concealed 
chorus  of  older  voices.) 

MoTHKR  Paton  (to  one  of  the  little  girls  as  she  stirs  the 
porridge  with  a  big  spoon  on  the  imaginary  stove)  : 
**  Here,  dear,  take  the  spoon  and  stir  the  porridge. 
Mother  will  peel  the  potatoes.  Johnny,  lad,  here's  a 
pan;  get  them  for  mother  out  of  the  barrel.  But  I 
wonder,  my  bairn,  if  your  arms  are  long  enough  to 
reach?  The  potato  barrel  is  getting  very  empty. 
(Shakes  her  head  soberly.)  I  don't  know  whether  there 
will  be  enough  to  last  till  father  comes  home.  Be  care- 
ful not  to  stoop  over  too  far  and  fall  in !  " 
Johnny  (laughing)  :  *'  I  won't,  mother: 

*  Humpty  Dumpty  sat  on  the  wall, 
Humpty  Dumpty  had  a  great  fall.' 

How  many  shall  I  get?  " 

Mothi:r  :  *'  Only  one  apiece,  no  more.  Father  hopes  to 
finish  his  work  to-day.  Then  he  is  going  away  to  sell 
his  stockings.     When  he  comes  home,   we  shall  have 

money  to  buy  potatoes  and Be  careful,  sister  dear, 

the  porridge  is  sticking."  (Goes  to  pull  the  kettle  to  the 
back  part  of  the  stove.) 

One:  of  the  Sisters  (Rocking  a  cradle  in  which  there  is  a 
doll)  :  "  Baby  is  asleep,  mother." 

Mother:  "  That  is  a  good  child.  Now  go  get  mother  some 
meal.  Two  cups  full — no  more.  It  must  last.  Yes, 
bring  it  here."  (Busies  herself  at  the  kitchen  table.) 
"  Johnny,  go  help  father  a  little  while  with  his  work. 
Children,  the  rest  of  you  may  go  play  in  the  garden." 

Part  II 

(The  children  march  into  ''  the  garden  "  singing  "  The 
Little  Piper  "  to  the  tune  "  The  Campbells  Are  Coming," 
and  play  several  Scottish  games.  This  portion  of  the  play 
may  be  very  simple  or  it  may  be  made  to  give  any  amount 
of  elaboration  to  the  little  "  play  "  that  you  may  wish.  Sev- 
eral Scottish  games  are  suggested  on  the  following  pages. 


192  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Thk  Little  Pipe:r 

Donald  Macdonald's 

A  braw  little  lad, 
With  his  woolen  Glengarry, 

His  kilt  and  his  plaid; 
And  he's  piping  the  march 

They  have  taught  him  to  play 
At  Gaffer  Macdonald's 

On  New  Year's  Day. 

— Alfred  H.  Milks. 

One;  oi^  Thic  Children  :  "  Let's  play  *  London  Bridge  is  fall- 
ing down.'."     (Other  plays  are  given  at  the  end  of  the 
lesson.) 
(There  is  a  lull  in  the  games  as  the  children  sit  down  to 
rest.    Johnny  is  helping  his  father.) 
Johnny:  "You  have  a  big  pile,   father.     May  I  turn  the 

wheel  ?  " 
Father  :  "  Yes,  laddie.    You  may  turn  until  mother  calls  us 
to  dinner.    I  will  pack  the  stockings."     (Whir  the  wheel 
and  pack  the  stockings.) 
Mother    (comes  to  the  door  and  calls):  ''Father!     Chil- 
dren !    Dinner  is  ready  !  " 
(Table   is    set   with   bowls    for   porridge.      Children   are 
seated.    The  grace  that  was  learned  is  recited.     If  you  have 
a  curtain,  it  may  be  drawn  at  this  point,  or  after  the  "  pre- 
tended meal,"  the  children  may  rise,  and   father  gets  his 
bundle  and  starts  on  his  journey.) 

Part  III 

Mother  :   "  Come,  children,  the  work  is  done :  it  is  eight 

o'clock.      Father    did    not    get    home    to-night    as    we 

thought.     But  we  must  not   forget  the  Bible  reading. 

Johnny  may  find  the  place."     (All  seat  themselves  round 

the  table.) 
One  of  the  Children  :  "  The  potatoes  are  all  gone,  mother. 

What  will  we  do  for  dinner  to-morrow  ?  " 
Another  Child:  "And  there's  only  half  enough  oatmeal 

for  porridge,  mother." 
Another  Child:  "  And  there's  only  one  loaf  of  bread,  and 

that's  not  enough." 
Another  Child:  "  And  I'm  himgry  already,  mother." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  193 

Mother:  ''We  won't  worry,  children.  Mother's  told  God 
all  about  it.  He  knows.  This  is  just  the  time  to  say 
our  verses.  Johnny,  say  yours;  and  then  each  may 
think  of  a  promise  verse." 

(Each  recites  a  verse  learned  during  the  study  of  the  theme.) 

Mother  :  "  Johnny,  car.  you  sav  the  psalm  that  we  are  learn- 
ing?"    (Read  Psalm  23.)' 

Mother:  "  I-^et  us  sing  baby  to  sleep." 

Ai.1.:  "Luther's  Cradle  Hymn." 

Curtain. 

Part  IV.     Morning 

(Pijino  plays  gayly  "  The  Campbells  Are  Coming!  " 
Carrier  comes  to  the  door  bringing  a  great  bag,  or  basket. 

Mother  answers  the  loud  knock.     Children  all  follow  in  a 

troop.) 

Carrier  :  "  A  present,  ma'am.  I  think  it  is  from  your 
father,  the  children's  Grandfather  Rogerson." 

Mother:  "O  children:  Johnny,  laddie,  may  help  me  un- 
pack !  Some  of  grandfather's  new  potatoes !  And  a 
bag  of  meal !  " 

One  of  the  Children  :  "  O  mother  !    Cheese  !  " 

Mother  :  "  Yes,  some  of  grandfather's  fresh  cheese  !  There 
will  be  plenty  to  eat  until  father  comes  home !  " 

One  of  the  Children  :  "  You  said — mother — you  said  " — 
(thoughtfully).  "  It  is  very  wonderful,  mother  !  "  (All 
look  into  her  face  wonderingly.) 

Mother  (gathering  the  children  about  her)  :  **  O  my  chil- 
dren, love  your  heavenly  Father.    Tell  him  in  faith  and 
prayer  all  your  needs,  and  he  will  supply  them  so  far  as 
it  shall  be  for  your  good  and  his  glory." 
(If  you  have  a  curtain,  a  concealed  choir  may  chant  the 

Doxology  as  the  curtain  drops.) 

(Simplify  this  to  suit  your  needs.) 

Other  Plays 
"  how  many  miles  to  babylon  " 
(Part  of  the  children  stand  at  each  end  of  the  garden 
space,  one  stands  in  the  middle.     The  children  at  the  ends 
ask  the  questions,  and  the  child  in  the  middle  answers.) 


194  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  King  and  queen  of  Cantelon, 

How  many  miles  to  Babylon?" 
"  Eight  and  eight  and  other  eight." 
"Will  I  get  there  by  candlelight?" 
"  If  your  horse  be  good  and  your  spurs  be  bright." 
"  How  many  men  have  ye?  " 
"  Mae  nor  ye  daur  come  and  see." 

The  players  at  the  ends  then  run  from  side  to  side,  and 
must  be  caught  by  the  child  in  the  middle,  when  they  then 
help  to  catch  the  rest.) 

HiCKlTY,  BiCKlTY 

"  Hickity,  bickity,  pease,  scone, 
Where  shall  this  poor  Scotchman  gang? 
Will  he  gang  east,  or  will  he  gang  west, 
Or  will  he  gang  to  the  craw's  nest?" 

A  boy,  whose  eyes  are  bandaged,  rests  his  head  against  a 
wall,  while  the  rest  come  up  and  lay  their  hands  upon  his 
back.  He  sends  them  to  different  places,  according  to  the 
rime,  and  calls  out,  *'  Hickity,  bickity !  "  till  they  have  re- 
turned, when  the  last  in  must  take  his  place.  The  "  craw's 
nest  "  is  close  beside  the  blindfolded  boy,  and  is  a  coveted 
position.) 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

DRAMATIZATION  OF  "  THE  STORY  OF  THE 
BABY  MOSES  " 

Exodus  2:1-10 

Memory  Vkrse; 

"  Jehovah  is  thy  keeper." — Psalm  121 :5. 

The:  Tkache:r's  Preparation 

This  little  dramatic  presentation  may  be  kept  exceedingly 
simple,  depending  for  "  stage  property  "  and  "  scenery  " 
almost  entirely  upon  the  children's  imagination.  If  pre- 
ferred, this  exercise  may  suffice   for  two  lessons,  and  the 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


195 


more  elaborate  "  playlet  "  given  in  the  preceding  lesson  may 
be  used  for  some  special  occasion.  This  little  play  may  be 
arranged  to  take  so  short  a  space  of  time  that,  if  your  class 
is  large,  several  groups  of  children  may  go  through  the  same 
exercise,  as  all  will  like  to  "act  out  "  the  story. 

Characte:rs 

Mothkr,  a  large  girl. 

Father,  a  large  boy. 

Aaron. 

A  Large  Dole,  representing  the  baby  Moses. 

The  Princess. 

Several  Attendants. 

An  Interior  Scene:  Mother  weaving  a  basket  (raffia)  ; 
a  little  boy  looking  on ;  a  little  girl  holding  a  big  doll  dressed 
as  an  Oriental  baby  in  "  swaddling  clothes." 

Miriam  sings  a  lullaby. 


La 


la      la 


la        la 


la       la       la       la 


La 

— 1^ 

la 

— 1- 
la 

la 
■  'T 

la 

fT^— 

la 

la 

la 

la 

==1= 

la 

la 

=5 

^i=. 

^^ 

—m — 

^. 

s(  — 

-^  — 

=srd 

^  a 

=5 

la. 


From  "  New  Educational  Music  Course  for  Elementary  Grades,  Teacher's 
Edition,"  by  McLaughlin  and  Gilchrist.  LJsed  by  permission  of  the  pub- 
lishers,  Ginn  &   Co. 


Mother:  "Do  not  sing  cpite  so  loudly,  my  Miriam.  The 
song  is  sweet;  the  song  is  sweet;  but  it  may  be  that 
some  one  could  hear  it  beyond  the  walls  of  our  house. 
Remember,  the  life  of  our  baby  is  in  great  danger.  If 
the  king's  messengers  should  by  any  chance  hear  you !  " 
(Miriam  stops  her  song  and  gathers  her  baby  brother 
closer  in  her  arms.)    • 

Aaron  (watching  his  mother)  :  "  What  are  you  making, 
mother  ?  " 


196  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Mother  :  "  A  little  basket,  Aaron,  my  lamb.  Hold  this 
bundle  of  reeds  for  mother,  while  I  weave.  Over, 
under ;  over,  under.    That  is  right !  " 

Aaron  :  *'  It  is  going  to  be  a  big  basket,  mother." 

Mother  (getting  up  and  measuring  her  work  to  the  baby  in 
Miriam's  lap  to  the  astonishment  of  the  two  children.) 

Both  :  "  Why,  mother  !  " 

Mother  :  "  Can  you  keep  a  secret,  my  lambs  ?  Yes,  I  know 
you  can,  because  upon  the  secret  depends  the  life  of  little 
brother.  You  know  how  cruel  the  king  has  been  to 
father  and  all  our  people.  Now  he  says  that  all  the 
little  babies  of  the  Hebrew  people  are  to  be  destroyed. 
But  I  have  prayed  to  God  to  protect  our  baby.  God  has 
helped  me  to  make  a  plan.  This  is  to  be  a  little  cradle 
basket.  When  it  is  finished,  we  will  hide  our  pretty 
baby  in  it." 

Miriam  :  "  O  mother,  he  is  waking !  " 

(Hums  very  softly.) 

Aaron  (in  subdued  voice)  :  "  I'll  hand  you  the  reeds, 
mother.     Here  is  a  good,  strong  reed." 

(Have  another  basket  ready,  and  pretend  that  the  work  is 
finished.) 

Mother  :  "  There,  it  is  finished  !  " 

Aaron  :  "  It's  strong,  mother." 

(Mother  takes  the  baby  and  puts  him  in  it.) 

Mother  :  "  Come,  children  !    Not  a  bit  of  noise  !  " 

Miriam  :  "  Why,  you're  going  to  the  river,  mother !  " 

Mother:  "  Yes,  dear.    Hush!" 
(She  parts  the  reeds  and  puts  the  cradle  amongst  them.) 
"  Now,    Miriam,    you    are    to    stay    here    and    watch. 
Brother  Aaron  and  I  will  go  home.    Do  not  go  too  near, 
my  lamb.     Do  not  look  anxious.     If  anyone  finds  the 
basket  come  and  tell  me." 

(Miriam  follows  her  mother's  directions.  Hums  a  little 
tune ;  weaves  a  bit  of  raffia ;  dances.  vSuddenly  she 
stops  to  listen.) 

Miriam  (suddenly  listening)  :  "  I  hear  talking!    People  are 
coming  this  way  !  " 
(The  princess  with  her  attendants,  approaches.) 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  197 

Princess:  "You  may  gather  some  of  these  beautiful  lotus 
blossoms,  my  maidens.  I  wish  them  for  my  table.  Here 
is  the  place  where  I  shall  bathe."  (Suddenly  she  spies 
the  basket.)  "  What  is  that  amongst  the  reeds  ?  Go  get 
it !  "  (One  of  the  maidens  pushes  the  imaginary  reeds 
aside  and  brings  the  basket.) 

Princess:  "Open  it!"  (She  clasps  her  hands  in  admira- 
tion.) "  A  baby  !  What  a  beautiful  baby  !  It  must  be 
one  of  the  Hebrew  children  !  Poor  little  thing !  I  shall 
keep  this  beautiful  baby  !  " 

Miriam  (stealing  up  and  speaking  very  earnestly)  :  "  Would 
you  like  a  nurse  for  the  baby,  O  princess?  I  know 
where  to  find  a  very  good  nurse." 

Princess  :  "  Go  bring  her !  " 

Miriam  (running  to  her  mother)  :  "  O  mother!  The  prin- 
cess !  The  king's  daughter  has  found  the  baby !  But, 
oh,  mother,  she  loves  our  beautiful  baby !  She  is  going 
to  keep  him.  I  told  her"  (panting) — "I  told  her — I 
could  find  a  nurse.    O  mother  !  " 

(Mother  runs  to  the  little  group  by  the  riverside.  Bows  at 
the  feet  of  the  princess.) 

Princess  :  "  Take  this  baby  and  care  for  him  tenderly.  He 
shall  be  brought  up  as  my  son.  He  shall  be  called 
Moses.  All  that  a  little  prince  should  have  this  baby 
shall  have." 

(Princess 'and  attendants  depart.) 

Ceose:  (Mother  holding  the  baby  in  her  arms;  Miriam  and 
Aaron  bending  over  him.  Class  sings  softly  one  of  the 
songs  about  God's  care  which  they  have  learned  during 
the  study  of  the  theme.) 


GOD  FORGIVING  HIS  CHILDREN 


CHAPTER  XXII 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 
THE  STORY  OF  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN 
Genesis  2:8,  9,  15-17,  19,  20;  chapter  3  (selected  verses) 

Mkmory  Ve;rse: 
*'  Forgive  us  our  sins." — Luke  11  :4a. 

The:  Ti^acher's  Preparation 

One  of  the  chief  reasons  for  the  never-faihng  interest 
that  the  Bible  has  for  all  of  us  from  childhood  through 
every  age  is  that  it  is  like  a  mirror  of  the  thousand  and  one 
situations  that  complicate  our  own  lives. 

"  Temptation  "  comes  to  all ;  even  Christ  was  not  free 
from  it.  The  story  of  the  way  the  first  temptation  was  met 
and  the  consequence  of  disobedience  is  so  simple  that  its 
appeal  is  direct  to  the  youngest. 

Tut  Story 

Adam  and  Eve  lived  all  alone  in  a  great,  big  garden.  It 
did  not  make  any  difference  in  what  direction  they  walked, 
or  how  far,  they  never  could  meet  anyone  else,  or  come  to  a 
house  where  anyone  lived,  because  there  were  no  other 
people.    They  were  the  first  people  in  all  the  world. 

God  had  created  Adam  and  Eve,  and  he  had  given  them 
the  big  garden  for  a  home.  It  was  called  "  the  Garden  of 
Eden." 

Now  perhaps  you  remember  that  there  was  once  a  man 
called  Robinson  Crusoe,  and  he  had  a  servant  named  Friday. 
They  lived  on  an  island  all  alone,  because  Robinson  Crusoe 
was  wrecked  at  sea.  Robinson  Crusoe  was  very  lonely ;  he 
was  thinking  always  about  the  people  he  once  had  known, 
and  the  home  and  the  things  he  once  had  had.  He  tried  to 
make  things  like  those  which  he  once  had  seen  and  had  had. 
He  was  lonely. 

But  Adam  and  Eve  were  not  lonely.     They  never  had 

201 


202  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

been  anywhere  but  in  the  Garden  of  Eden.  They  never  had 
been  with  other  people ;  they  never  even  had  seen  a  home. 
They  were  the  first  man  and  woman. 

The  garden  was  a  beautiful  place:  there  were  flowers  of 
all  colors  in  it ;  there  were  trees ;  there  were  fruits ;  there 
were  vegetables.  Animals  roved  around  and  ate  the  grass ; 
birds  flew  about  the  sky,  and  hopped  amongst  the  branches 
of  the  trees ;  fishes  swam  in  the  water  of  the  river  that 
flowed  through  the  garden. 

God  showed  all  these  things  to  Adam,  and  told  him  that 
he  might  give  the  animals  their  names.  By  whatever  name 
Adam  called  them,  they  were  to  be  known. 

"  Take  good  care  of  the  garden,  Adam ;  tend  the  flowers 
and  all  the  growing  things ;  be  kind  to  the  animals,"  God 
said.  Adam  and  Eve  were  his  children,  and  he  loved  them 
and  was  glad  to  give  them  all  these  gifts. 

Then  God  said :  "  You  may  eat  of  the  herbs  and  the  vege- 
tables and  fruit,  Adam.  You  may  have  them  for  your  food. 
But  of  the  fruit  of  this  tree  you  must  not  eat.  It  will  poison 
you ;  if  you  eat  it,  you  will  surely  die."  And  God  showed 
them  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 

How  happy  were  those  first  days  in  the  Garden  of  Eden ! 
Adam  and  Eve  looked  at  the  flowers  and  smelled  their 
sweetness ;  they  tasted  the  fruits ;  they  listened  to  the  songs 
of  the  birds;  they  played  with  the  animals  and  took  care 
of  them. 

Now  the  cleverest  animal  in  the  garden  was  the  serpent. 
But  he  was  a  sly  beast,  and  not  good.  One  day  when  Adam 
was  busy  in  some  other  part  of  the  garden,  tending  to  the 
growing  things,  or  to  the  animals,  as  God  had  bidden  him 
do,  the  serpent  came  to  Eve  and  spoke  to  her. 

"  Did  God  say  that  you  could  not  eat  of  every  tree  in  the 
garden  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  We  may  eat  the  fruits  and  the  vegetables  and  the  herbs, 
but  we  must  not  eat  the  fruit  that  grows  on  the  tree  of  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil,"  answered  Eve.  *'  God  said  we 
must  not  eat  of  that ;  we  must  not  touch  it.  If  we  eat  it,  we 
shall  surely  die." 

"  You  will  not  surely  die,"  said  the  serpent.  "  If  you  eat 
of  it,  you  will  grow  very  wise.  See,  it  is  pretty !  It  is  good 
to  eat !  " 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  203 

Eve  ought  to  have  stopped  up  her  ears  and  run  away,  but 
she  did  not.  Instead,  she  looked  at  the  tree  with  bright  fruit 
glittering  in  the  sunshine. 

"  Look  at  it !  "  tempted  the  serpent.     "  Taste  it !  " 

Eve  bit  into  the  fruit.  It  tasted  good  in  the  mouth.  She 
went  to  her  husband.  She  told  him  what  the  serpent  had 
said.     She  teased  him  till  he,  too,  ate  some  of  the  fruit. 

But  Adam  and  Eve  were  not  happy  the  rest  of  that  day ; 
they  knew  that  they  had  been  disobedient  children. 

When  the  cool  of  the  evening  came,  God  walked  through 
the  garden.  For  the  first  time  in  their  lives,  Adam  and  Eve 
were  afraid  of  God.  They  did  not  run  to  meet  him,  but 
went  and  hid  among  the  trees. 

"  Adam,  where  art  thou?  "  called  God  to  him. 

When  Adam  came  he  said :  "  I  heard  thy  voice  in  the 
garden ;  but  I  was  afraid.  I  went  and  hid,"  and  Adam 
dropped  his  eyes  in  shame. 

God  looked  at  Adam.  He  knew  that  he  had  disobeyed ;  he 
had  sinned. 

"Why  wert  thou  afraid?  Why  didst  thou  hide  thyself? 
Adam,  hast  thou  eaten  of  the  fruit  that  I  told  thee  not  to 
eat?" 

Then  Adam  began  putting  the  blame  on  Eve.  "  She  told 
me  to  eat  it,"  he  said. 

Sorrowfully  God  said  to  Eve,  "  What  is  this  that  thou 
hast  done  ?  " 

"  The  serpent  tempted  me  to  eat,  and  I  ate,"  replied  Eve, 
and  she,  too,  was  ashamed. 

God  punished  the  serpent.  He  said  to  the  woman :  ''  Thou 
hast  brought  great  trouble  to  thyself,  and  to  thy  children. 
Eve.  Because  of  thy  disobedience,  thou  hast  brought  suf- 
fering and  pain  and  trouble  into  the  world." 

He  then  turned  to  Adam  and  said :  "  Because  thou  hast 
listened  to  Eve  and  hast  eaten  the  fruit,  thou  canst  no  longer 
stay  in  the  garden.  Thou  shalt  till  the  land  outside.  The 
ground  shall  be  hard ;  weeds  and  thistles  and  thorns  shall 
come  up  where  thou  plantest.  In  the  sweat  of  thy  brow 
shalt  thou  work  all  the  days  of  thy  life.  Then  thou  shalt 
die." 

And  sin  and  sorrow  and  pain  and  death  came  into  the 
world  because  of  disobedience. 


204 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Dkvotionai,  Skrvice^ 

re:ading  IvEsson  from  the:  blackboard 

"  Teach  me  to  do  thy  will ; 

For  thou  art  my  God." 
**  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray." 

The:  Lord's  Prayer  :  Lay  stress  on  the  phrase  "  Forgive 
us  our  debts  [our  sins]." 
Teach  the  following  song: 


tJLorb,  XTeacb  a  Xtttle  Cbtlb  to  pra^ 

(B  CbU^'s  ipraser) 


Brown 


eB^ 


S 


1.  Lord,  teach  a     lit  -  tie  child    to  pray,  And  oh,     ac-cept  my  prayer! 

2.  A  lit-  tie  spar-row  can -not  fall,  Un  -  no-ticed.  Lord,  by  thee; 

3.  Teach  me     to   do  what-e'er     is  right,  And  when  I     sin,    for-  give; 


i= 


g 


T 


^ 


:1=i= 


1^-- 


m 


m 


Thou   hear  -  est  ev  -  ery  word     I    say,   For  thou  art    ev  -  ery-where. 
And  though    I    am     so  young  and  small.  Thou  dost  take  care   of    me. 
And    make     it   still  my    chief   de-light  To    love  thee  while    I     live. 


— From  "The  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal,"  published 
by  The  Heidelberg  Press.     L^sed  by  permission. 


Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Bring  an  envelope  of  pictures  to  cut  out  and  mount  th'at 
would  suggest  a  garden. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  205 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

DOWN  CEDAR  HILL:  A  STORY  OF  A  FATHER'S 
FORGIVENESS 

Psalm  32:1-5;  38:18,  21,22 
Mdmory  Vkrsf; 
"  I  will  be  sorry  for  my  sin." — Psalm  38:18b. 

Thk  Tkacher's  Preparation 

The  account  of  the  temptation  to  sin,  the  failure  to  meet 
the  temptation  in  the  right,  strong  way,  and  the  inevitable 
consequence  comes  amongst  the  very  first  pages  in  God's 
Word;  so  also  does  the  understanding  of  the  meaning  of 
temptation  and  sin,  and  the  consequence  come  early  in  the 
life  of  every  normal  individual.  It  is  not  difficult  for  a  very 
young  child  to  understand  fully  the  story  of  the  temptation 
and  fall  of  Adam  and  Eve,  and  also  the  application  to  their 
own  personal  lives. 

Let  us  make  the  thought  of  God's  yearning  and  willing- 
ness to  forgive  the  very  bright  and  prominent  light  that 
shines  through  the  lessons  grouped  under  the  theme.  Yet 
do  not  forget  to  point  out  a  secondary  lesson :  that  although 
there  has  been  pardon  freely  given,  sin  leaves  a  scar.  Adam 
and  Eve  were  forgiven,  but  the  home  in  the  garden  of  Eden 
w^as  gone.  Cxod  gave  another  opportunity — an  opportunity 
that  was  to  make  possible  a  stronger,  fuller  life  than  would 
have  resulted  from  the  idyllic  life  spent  in  the  perfect  garden. 
However,  the  effect  of  their  sin  resulted  in  changed  con- 
ditions. 

_  None  of  the  characters  in  the  Bible  were  without  tempta- 
tion ;  none  met  all  their  temptations  victoriously — save  One. 
The  story  of  a  successful  life  is  to  conquer  as  often  and  as 
valiantly  as^  we  can,  and  when  we  fail,  to  ask  forgiveness, 
and  try  again. 

Use  this  lesson  to  develop  the  story  of  temptation  and  sin 
and  forgiveness  in  terms  of  child  life. 

The  Story 
Cedar  Hill  was  as  smooth  as  glass— after  the  first  snow- 
storm of  the  season.     The  first  snowflakes  fell  on  Sunday 


206  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

afternoon,  and  the  snow  continued  all  night.  When  David 
woke  in  the  morning  the  world  looked  like  a  great,  big 
Christmas  card.  All  the  branches  of  the  trees  were  bowed 
down  with  snow ;  the  fields  were  covered,  and  every  fence 
post  wore  a  cap  of  white. 

He  dressed  in  a  hurry,  did  his  share  of  the  morning's 
work,  and  then  went  upstairs  to  the  attic  to  get  his  sled 
which  had  been  stored  away  all  summer.  He  put  it  outside 
of  the  door,  ready  for  use  as  soon  as  breakfast  should  be 
over. 

Father  put  the  morning  paper  in  his  pocket,  buttoned  his 
great  coat  up  close  around  his  neck,  bade  good-by  to  mother, 
and  then  said  to  David  and  Katherine :  "  Come  along,  chil- 
dren, it  is  time  to  start.  I  will  leave  you  at  the  school  door. 
I  don't  often  have  the  opportunity  to  start  so  late  in  the 
morning,  but  I  am  glad  of  the  chance  to  get  you  to  school." 
Father  generally  tool:  a  much  earlier  train  to  the  city. 

"Well,  David,  boy ;  I  see  you  have  your  sled  out  all  ready." 

"  Yes,  father ;  I'm  going  over  to  Cedar  Hill  before  school. 
Katherine  can  go  with  you;  but  I've  time  to  go  with  the 
fellows  before  school.  We're  going  to  coast.  Good-by." 
And  David  picked  up  his  sled. 

Father  grew  sober  at  once.  He  looked  toward  Cedar  Hill. 
Indeed  it  was  in  fine  condition  for  coasting.  The  boys  were 
in  the  habit  of  going  there  year  after  year.  But  the  highway 
where  a  continuous  stream  of  automobiles  passed  had  been 
out  of  repair  for  several  weeks,  and  was  now  being  mended. 
All  along  the  way  arrow  signs  bearing  the  word  "  detour  " 
were  fastened  on  trees  and  telegraph  poles  and  fences. 

One  of  these  arrows  had  been  placed  at  the  corner,  and 
now,  instead  of  a  quiet,  safe  coasting  hill,  right  at  the  foot 
where  the  road  crossed,  a  pretty  steady  line  of  automobiles 
passed. 

"  Why,  son — I  hadn't  thought — but  it  will  not  be  safe  to 
use  Cedar  Hill  now.  No,"  said  father  decidedly — "  it  cer- 
tainly— will — not — be — safe.  You  might  not  have  an  acci- 
dent, but  then  again,  you  might."  Father  looked  determined. 
"  I  hate  to  take  away  your  sport,  David ;  but  it  is  not  safe. 
No,  son ;  you  are  not  to  go  there  to-day." 

Father  took  out  his  watch.     **  My,  the  time  is  passing ! 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  207 

The  train  is  almost  due.  Come,  Katherine ;  good-by,  son — 
remember,"  and  father  hurried  away. 

David  looked  at  the  splendid,  shining  hill ;  he  was  dread- 
fully disappointed.  Still,  he  knew  that  his  father  was  right 
about  the  danger — he  could  see  for  himself.  Two  automo- 
biles were  passing  at  that  minute.  And  David  was  in  the 
habit  of  minding.  Father  was  his  best  chum.  He  turned 
slowly  and  walked  away  from  Cedar  Hill  down  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  school.  He  began  to  whistle,  and  made  up  his 
mind  to  forget  all  about  coasting. 

"  Hello,  Dave !  "  exclaimed  a  voice  just  round  the  corner. 
It  was  Dick — and  he,  too,  had  his  sled. 

"  You're  early,  Dave.  You  don't  have  to  go  for  half  an 
hour  yet.  I'm  going  to  Cedar  Hill.  Come  on.  Here  are 
Bert  and  Phil." 

All  the  boys  were  a  little  older  than  David,  and  he  was 
very  proud  to  be  their  friend.  But — father's  command! 
David  quite  suddenly  felt  very  miserable. 

"  I'm  going  early  to  school,  to-day,"  he  began.  "  I 
want  to  " 

"  Oh,  come  on ;  don't  stand  there  wasting  time.  Come 
on,"  and  Bert  started. 

*'  I  can't  " and  then  he  added  shamefacedly.    **  Father 

said  I  shouldn't  go." 

"  Shouldn't  go !  Oh,  go  on !  Why,  the  boys  have  always 
coasted  down  Cedar  Hill !  "  exclaimed  Dick  in  amazement. 

"  What's  the  harm  ?  "  asked  Bert. 

**The  automobiles,"  said  David.  "They  have  to  come 
past  Cedar  Hill — because  the  big  road's  shut  off." 

The  boys  talked  a  good  deal,  and  David's  face  grew  quite 
red.  He  thought  "  the  fellows  "  considered  him  a  baby ;  and 
he  was  proud  of  going  with  "  the  big  boys." 

"  My  father  didn't  tell  me  not  to  go,"  said  Phil. 

"  Nor  mine,"  added  Dick. 

David  ought  to  have  been  man  enough  to  say  that  it  was 
probably  because  they  had  gone  to  business  early,  and  had 
not  thought ;  but  he  did  not. 

"  We'll  take  care  of  you,"  laughed  Bert. 

Take  care  of  him !  David's  eyes  flashed  as  he  exclaimed : 
"  Oh,  well,  I  guess  he  won't  care.  Come  on !  I'll  go !  I'll 
beat  you  to  it !  " 


208  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCFIOOL  LESSONS 

Up  and  down  !  Up  and  down !  Several  other  boys  joined 
the  crowd.  Never  had  the  hill  been  smoother !  Never  had 
the  sleds  flown  faster! 

"  One  more !  "  shouted  David  as  the  school  bell  began  to 
ring  in  the  distance. 

The  sled  flew !  Something  black  suddenly  loomed  in  the 
way  just  as  he  crossed  the  road ;  an  awful  crash  and  then — 
David  knew  nothing  of  what  happened  after  that. 

It  might  have  been  days,  it  might  have  been  months — it 
might  even  have  been  years  after,  as  far  as  David  could  tell 
when  he  opened  his  eyes  one  morning,  and  found  himself  in 
a  little  white  bed  in  a  little  white  room  in  a  very  strange 
place  with  a  white-dressed  stranger  moving  about  a  table 
where  there  were  medicine  glasses  and  bottles  and  other 
things. 

He  tried  to  move  his  arm,  but  he  found  it  tightly  ban- 
daged;  he  tried  to  lift  himself  up,  but  fell  back  again;  he 
tried  to  move  his  foot,  but  found  it  was  fastened  in  a  hard 
case.    Even  his  head  was  bandaged. 

"  Where  am  I  ?  "  he  asked,  and  his  own  voice  sounded 
strange. 

"  Oh  David,"  said  the  person  in  white,  "  you're  better — 
I'm  so  glad." 

"  Better  !  "  answered  David.     "  Why,  where  am  I  ?  " 

"  You  have  been  sick.  You  were  hurt ;  but  you  are  better 
now.  I  wouldn't  try  to  think  about  it  now.  Here,  drink 
this,"  and  then  the  person  in  white  was  very  nice  and  ar- 
ranged him  comfortably,  and  gave  him  something  to  eat. 

But  David  did  think — and  little  by  little  the  memory  of 
"  that  day  "  and  the  coast  on  Cedar  Hill  and  the  "  smash- 
up  "  came  back. 

"Where's  father?  I  didn't  mind  him,"  said  David  so 
suddenly  that  afternoon  that  the  person  in  white  jumped. 

"  Why,  I  thought  you  were  asleep,  laddie,"  she  said. 
"  You're  father  was  here  yesterday.  He  has  been  here  a 
great  many  times." 

"  I  didn't  mind  him.    Will  he  be  here  to-day?  " 

"  Here  he  is  now,"  said  the  person  in  white,  and  opened 
the  door. 

"  O  my  boy,  my  boy  !  "  exclaimed  father  as  he  saw  David's 
face.    "  You  are  better !    You  know  me !  " 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  209 

"Father,  I  didn't  mind  you!  I'm  so  sorry!"  and  David 
began  to  cry  quite  like  a  great  big  baby. 

**  There,  David,  dear,  not  a  word  more,  now  " 

"  Will  you  forgive  me,  father  ?  I'm  sorry  !  " 
There  was  no  doubt  in  David's  mind  about  father's  for- 
giveness, and  there  was  no  doubt  in  father's  mind  about 
David's  "being  sorry  for  his  sin."  And  although  David's 
leg  was  never  quite  so  strong  and  straight  as  it  was,  and 
although  he  never  could  run  so  well  as  he  had  been  able  to 
do,  he  and  father  loved  each  other  more  than  ever,  and 
David  found  it  easier  to  obey  when  he  thought  of  what  that 
disobedience  had  cost  him. 

Dkvotionai,  SERVICIt 

(Explain  the  meaning  of  the  difficult  words  "transgres- 
sion," "  iniquity  "  :  "  grown-up-words  "  for  sin.  "  Blessed  " 
meaning  happy.) 

Ri:ading  Lksson  From  thk  Bi^ackboard 

(Or  by  the  teacher  from  the  Bible  as  preferred.) 

"  Blessed  is  he  whose  transgression  is  forgiven, 
Whose  sin  is  covered. 


"  When  I  kept  silence,  my  bones  wasted  away 
Through  my  groaning  all  the  day  long. 
For  day  and  night  thy  hand  was  heavy  upon  me: 


I  acknowledged  my  sin  unto  thee, 
And  mine  iniquity  did  I  not  hide : 
I  said,  I  will  confess  my  transgressions  unto  Jehovah 

And  thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin." 

*  I  will  be  sorry  for  my  sin." 


Forsake  me  not,  O  Jehovah: 
O  my  God,  be  not  far  from  me. 
Make  haste  to  help  me." 

Song  :  See  last  lesson.    Continue  to  teach  the  song. 
Prayicr  :  The  Lord's  Prayer. 


210  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Let  the  children  tell  of  some  personal  experience  of  "  dis- 
obedience "  and  what  came  of  it.  Bring  out  the  thought  that 
relief  came  with  "  being  sorry,"  and  obtaining  "  forgiveness." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

SELFISHNESS  FORGIVEN 
Luke  15:11-24 
Mkmory  Verse: 
"  Forgive  us  our  sins." — Luke  11  :4a. 

Thk  Teacher's  Preparation 

Selfishness  is  an  excessive  attention  to  one's  own  inter- 
ests ;  an  inordinate  desire  for  one's  own  advantage  even  to 
the  forgetfulness  of  the  rights  of  others.  Only  a  little 
thought  will  show  how  this  characteristic  will  lead  to  all 
manner  of  complications  and  encroachments  upon  the  rights 
of  others ;  how  it  can  pave  the  way  for  many  other  sins. 
Egoism  is  a  common  habit  with  many  children,  and  a  lesson 
pointing  out  its  unloveliness  and  its  hurtfulness  is  important. 

Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  show  up  the  ugliness  of  sin, 
and  to  draw  us  away  from  it ;  he  often  did  this  by  means  of 
the  parable,  and  the  story  of  the  *'  prodigal  son,"  that  young 
person  who  concentrated  upon  "  self  "  and  the  advantages 
and  good  times  he  could  get  by  his  selfish  plan  in  which 
nothing  was  considered  but  his  own  personal  interests,  is 
surely  calculated  to  be  a  telling  blow  to  this  sin  which  every 
child  will  recognize. 

The  children  can  see  the  very  human,  earthly  situation : 
the  wayward  boy ;  his  loving,  generous  father,  who  forgives 
him  gladly  and  receives  him  back  at  home  when  he  returns 
and  confesses,  sorry  and  ashamed.  It  will  not  be  difficult, 
either,  to  draw  the  parallel  to  our  relations  to  the  heavenly 
Father,  the  real  purpose  of  the  story. 

A  Word  as  to  the  Setting:  The  publicans  and  sinners 
were  drawing  near  to  hear  the  teachings  of  the  Master. 
The  scribes  and  Pharisees,  selfish  egoists,  complained, 
*'  This  man  receiveth  sinners,  and  eateth  with  them."     To 

211 


212  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

prove  his  purpose  of  helping  people  get  away  from  their 
sins,  and  also  the  willingness  of  God  to  forgive,  provided 
the  sinner  repents  and  asks  for  forgiveness,  Jesus  told  the 
story  of  "  The  Prodigal  Son." 

Th]^  Story 

There  was  once  a  father  who  had  two  sons.  They  lived 
in  a  comfortable  home,  for  the  father  was  not  a  poor  man. 
There  were  servants  to  help  with  the  work  in  the  house, 
and  also  outside  in  the  fields  which  the  father  owned. 
Within  the  stables  were  well-fed  animals. 

You  would  have  thought  those  two  sons  would  have  been 
happy  and  contented  in  such  a  home;  but  one  of  them  was 
not.  For  some  reason,  the  younger  son  was  discontented. 
He  wanted  to  get  away :  he  thought  he  could  find  a  better 
place  than  his  home.  The  more  he  thought  about  it,  the 
more  discontented  he  was  with  the  things  in  the  home  and 
the  work  he  had  to  do.  He  thought  so  much  about  himself 
and  the  good  times  he  wanted  for  himself,  and  the  good 
things  that  he  would  like  for  himself,  that  at  last  he  could 
think  of  nobody  else.     Such  a  person  is  very,  very  selfish. 

One  day  he  said :  "  Father,  I  need  some  money.  Give  me 
my  share  of  your  fortune." 

The  father  loved  his  son,  and  he  divided  his  fortune,  and 
gave  the  son  his  share.  Not  many  days  afterward,  the  son 
packed  up  all  his  belongings,  put  most  of  his  money  in  his 
moneybags,  and  some  in  his  belt,  as  was  the  custom  in  those 
days.  He  bound  on  his  stoutest  sandals,  and  put  on  his 
traveling  coat.  He  said  good-by  to  his  father  and  his  older 
brother,  and  started  out  to  see  the  world. 

Well,  this  selfish  young  man  found  that  there  were  other 
selfish  people  out  in  the  world  besides  himself.  And  every 
one  of  these  tried  to  do  the  rest.  Every  one  of  these  new 
friends  wanted  to  get  the  most  good  food,  the  most  good 
times,  and  each  tried  to  drink  the  most.  Each  selfish  person 
loved  these  things  so  much  that  he  was  quite  willing  to  get 
the  best  of  all  the  others  in  order  to  please  himself. 

The  young  man  spent  a  great  deal  of  money — day  after 
day  he  spent,  and  his  moneybags  grew  lighter  and  lighter. 

By  and  by  there  came  a  time  when  all  the  money  that  his 
father  had  given  him  was  gone.     And  what  did  the  new 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  213 

companions  that  he  had  chosen  to  go  with,  do?    They  left 

Now  it  happened  when  all  his  fortune  was  spent    that 
there  came  a  famme  m  the  far  country  where  he  had  gone 
There  was  very  httle  to  eat,  and  what  there  was  cost  a  |reat 
deal  of  money.    His  clothes  were  old,  and  he  became  dtl 
gather  hungry  and  miserable. 

There  was  a  rich  man  living  in  that  country,  and  the 
young  man  wem  and  asked  him  for  a  place  as  a  servant 

and  fZth'em.''™  °"'  '"  '''  '^'''^  '°  '^"^^  «-  °f  ^is  pigs 
Now  the  young  man  was  so  poor  and  hungry  and  miser- 
able-he had  sunk  so  low,  that  he  would  have  been  glad 
enough  to  eat  the  husks  that  belonged  to  the  pigs,  if  he 
could.    Yet  no  one  gave  him  anything  IS."   "e 

It  was  then  that  he  began  to  think  of  his  home  and  the 
good   hmgs  that  h.s  father  was  so  glad  to  share  with  Wm 
The  servants  m  my  father's  house  have  more  than  they 

S°of  hunger.'"   """^'"  '''"'''''^''-     "  ^"'^  "^^  '  ^ 

He  thought  of  his  selfishness;  he  felt  that  he  had  been  as 

greedy  about  gettmg  the  best  for  himself  as  the  pigs  he  was 

b^eg'an'Ke'hSr-"-    ^^  ''''"  '°  '^^  s.&LessJul 

tnlV"  'T'l  ^°'  "y  ''"y  h'^  ^^''d  to  himself.  "  I  want 
to  see  my  father  agam.  I  will  go  home.  I  will  go  to  my 
father  and  say,  '  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven  a^d 
m  your  s.ght.  I  am  not  worthy  to  be  called  your  son  But 
forgive  me;  and  make  me  one  of  your  servants  '"'  And 
right  away  he  started.  ""^ 

Now  the  young  man  had  not  reached  home  yet,  but  his 
father  saw  h.m  coming  while  he  was  still  far  off     He  was 
so  glad  to  see  his  boy;  his  heart  was  just  filled  with  love 
He  ran  and  put  his  arms  round  his  neck,  and  kissed  him 

J^ather,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  against  vou  " 
said  the  son.   '  I  am  not  worthy  to  be  calkd  your  son  " 

But  the  father  led  him  to  the  house 

"  r  ^  T  ^T  f°"?''  .^?™^'  "  ''^  '=='"'=d  t°  the  servants 
Get  the  best  clothing  in  the  house  and  put  on   him  I 

Jotdsi::ro*']Sttr^^'    Putaringonhi^handl'Tut 


214  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Then  he  said  to  the  cooks :  "  Make  a  fine  feast.  We  will 
have  a  merry  time.  Here  is  my  son !  I  thought  he  was 
dead !  But  he  is  alive  and  has  come  home  again.  He  was 
lost,  and  is  found !  " 

That  boy  knew  that  his  father  had  forgiven  all  his  selfish 
sins,  and  he  was  happy  again.  And  they  made  ready  for  the 
feast  and  had  a  merry  time. 

Devotional  SitRVicE 

In  a  very  few  sentences  draw  the  parallel  with  God's  for- 
giveness of  sin. 

B1.ACKBOARD  Reading  Lesson 

(Explain  hard  words  and  help  in  the  reading.) 

"  I  acknowledged  my  sin  unto  thee." 

*'  I  said,  I  will  confess  my  transgression  [sin]  unto 
Jehovah." 

*'  I  will  be  sorry  for  my  sin." 
"  Forsake  me  not,  O  Jehovah." 

Suggested  Activity 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Get  the  children  to  make  a  voluntary  effort  to  do  one  un- 
selfish act  during  the  week. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

ASKING  FORGIVENESS 
Luke  5:17-26 
Memory  Verse 
"  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee." — Luke  5  :20. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Jesus'  mission  was  to  bring  the  message  of  God's  forgive- 
ness to  those  who  had  sinned,  and  to  those  who  would  sin 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONvS  215 

in  the  future — and  that  means  to  all  of  us.  He  taught  the 
need  of  forgiveness :  that  it  was  a  boon  to  be  desired  above 
all  other  benefits,  even  above  the  blessing  of  physical  well- 
being,  the  gift  which  he  was  so  glad  to  bestow  upon  the 
sufferers  who  came  to  him. 

Tell  to-day  the  story  of  the  sick  man  who  was  brought  by 
his  four  friends  to  Jesus.  We  are  led  to  think  from  the 
wording  of  the  account  that  possibly  the  man's  illness  was 
his  own  fault.  At  any  rate  Jesus  recognized  that  illness  was 
not  his  only  burden :  he  needed  forgiveness  and  he  received 
that  greater  blessing  as  well  as  the  release  from  suffering. 

An  understanding  of  the  structure  of  the  roof  of  the 
ordinary  class  of  Oriental  dwellings  will  be  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  make  a  complete  picture  of  the  situation,  and  for  this 
reason  a  simple  copy  is  given.  Practice  the  drawing  of  this 
till  you  make  it  your  own.  The  cut  is  sufficiently  large  for 
you  to  make  copies  in  cardboard  to  give  to  the  pupils  to  use 
in  any  way  that  you  may  prefer. 

Th^  Story 

Once  upon  a  time  in  the  far  country  where  Jesus  lived 
when  he  came  upon  earth,  there  was  a  certain  house  that 
looked  very  much  like  this.     (Draw.) 

It  was  one  story  high  and  there  was  a  door.  Outside, 
going  up  to  the  roof,  there  was  a  stairway,  something  like 
this.  The  roof  was  not  made  of  shingles  or  tin  or  slate  such 
as  those  that  we  generally  see.  There  were  some  rafters 
laid  across  the  side  walls.  Some  sticks  were  placed  over 
these  rafters.  Over  the  sticks  was  some  brushwood,  and 
then  over  this  was  spread  some  earth.  The  earth  was 
smoothed  down  and  rolled,  and  last  of  all  came  a  coat  of 
mortar. 

On  a  certain  day  the  door  of  the  house  was  open,  and  a 
big  crowd  of  people  stood  round  about.  All  that  could  get 
inside  were  inside ;  the  house  was  full.  Ever  so  many  more 
wanted  to  get  in,  but  they  couldn't ;  every  inch  of  space  was 
taken. 

It  was  no  wonder  that  there  was  such  a  crowd,  because 
Jesus  was  inside  that  house,  and  he  was  talking.  Everyone 
wanted  to  hear  what  he  said. 


216  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Presently  four  men  came  over  the  road  carrying  some- 
thing heavy.  The  burden  was  a  rug;  each  man  held  one 
corner,  and  on  it  was  a  sick  man.  The  man  could  neither 
walk  nor  move. 

The  rug  was  really  a  bed  such  as  they  used  in  those  days. 
It  could  be  rolled  up  when  it  was  not  needed,  and  stowed 
away ;  or  it  could  be  carried  about  if  necessary. 

When  the  men  came  to  the  house  they  were  very  much 
disappointed  because  they  could  not  get  in.  However,  they 
believed  that  Jesus  could  help  their  poor  friend,  and  they 
were  not  going  to  give  up.  There  must  have  been  a  great 
many  sellish  people  in  the  crowd  or  they  would  have  been 
willing  to  make  way  and  let  the  men  pass,  but  they  did  not. 

"  Here's  the  stairway,"  they  said  to  one  another,  and  then 
a  good  idea  came  to  them.  They  carried  the  man  on  the 
roof ;  then  they  began  pulling  ofif  first  the  mortar,  then  the 
dirt,  then  the  twigs,  and  very  soon  they  had  a  hole  big 
enough  to  let  the  man  down  through  the  roof. 

They  must  have  tied  the  ends  of  the  bed  with  some  kind 
of  strong  rope  or  strips  of  something  and  then — down,  down, 
they  lowered  their  friend  right  at  Jesus'  feet. 

The  man  did  not  need  to  speak  to  Jesus;  his  eyes  told 
everything.  Jesus  knew  right  away  that  the  man  wanted 
to  say  to  him,  because  the  thoughts  were  in  his  heart: 
"  Master,  I  know  that  you  are  able  to  forgive  my  sin,  and 
take  away  my  illness.  Forgive  my  sins  and  take  away  my 
suffering." 

Jesus  said,  "  Man,  thy  sins  are  forgiven." 

Some  of  the  people  who  had  been  listening  began  to  find 
fault  with  Jesus.  They  said,  "  Who  but  God  hath  power  to 
forgive  sin?  "    They  did  not  beheve  in  Jesus. 

But  Jesus  said :  "  Why  do  you  say  these  things  ?  Which 
is  easier,  to  say,  *  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  '  or  '  Arise,  and 
take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  to  thy  house  '  "  ? 

New  strength  came  to  the  poor  man's  body.  He  rose  from 
the  bed,  rolled  it  up,  and  walked  out  of  the  house.  He  was 
well.    But  best  of  all,  he  was  forgiven. 

DevoTioNAi,  Skrvice^ 
Teach  the  following  song : 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

ffatber,  moli?  ffatbet 


217 


^J?^--j_ 

sr: 

— \ h 

_r  1 

— ^~ 

G.  Hinton 

1.  Fa   - 

2.  We 

3.  Thou 

4.  Hear 

5.  Fa  - 

ther, 

thy 

art 

us, 

ther, 

— ^— 

ho  -   ly 
lit  -  tie 

wise    and 
ho   -  ly 

God,    our 

Fa 
chil- 
lov 
Fa  - 
Fa  - 

-  ther.    Now      the    sun     has    come, 
dren.   To        thy  throne   a  -  bove, 

-  ing,     Thou     art  great    and  strong; 
ther,     As         to   thee     we     pray, 
ther,     Guide    us      ev  -  ery     hour; 

Pm^^ 

— k- 

-P — r 

=^=^-=g-°r~T^^~^ 

-Hi — r- 

=^-j -    ^ 

■     ^^- 

-j=F=^=^      1 r-h — =^ 

Bring 

We 

Glad 

Ask 

Keep 

^:.-ft — C- 

-^3— is 

-  ing  light   and 

would  hymn  thy 

when  we       do 

-    ing  thee      to 

us   safe,    and 

K ^ K~ 

glo    - 
prais  - 
right  - 
keep 
shield 

ry    From    thy  heaven  -  ly    home. 
es.     We    would  sing     thy     love. 
ly,  Grieved  when  we       do    wrong, 
us      Safe   from  harm     to  -  day. 
us     From  temp  -  ta  -  tion's  power. 

F^=f- 

t«=l \ — 

tt — = 

=E=Lf=f^-r— F-^=JJ 

-From  "  The  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal,"  published 
by  The  Heideljjerg  Press.     Used  by  permission. 


BLACKBOARD  READING 

(To  be  read  directly  from  the  blackboard,  if  preferred. 
Selected  from  Proverbs,  chapter  1.) 


DIFFICULT  WORDS  AND  THFIR  SYNONYMS 

"Entice"  .  .  .  Coax. 

"  Consent  thou  not  "...  Do  not  yield  or  "  give  in." 
"  Cast  thy  lot  among  us  "  .  .  .  Thou  shalt  come  with  us 
and  we  will  look  out  for  your  welfare. 
"  Refrain  "...  Keep  away. 


218 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


My  son,  if  sinners  entice  thee, 

Consent  thou  not. 

If  they  say,  Come  with  us, 

Thou  shalt  cast  thy  lot  among  us ; 

We  will  all  have  one  purse : 

My  son,  walk  not  thou  in  the  way  with  them : 

Refrain  thy  foot  from  their  path  : 

For  their  feet  run  to  evil." 


Sugge;stkd  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Draw  a  picture  of  an  Oriental  house — or  cut  from  paper. 

Let  four  children  illustrate  the  carrying  of  the  bed  by 
holding  the  four  corners  of  a  sheet  of  newspaper,  or  any- 
thing which  you  have  at  hand  which  will  serve  the  purpose. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

ZACCH^US 

Luke  19:1-10 

Memory  Verses 

"I  will  be  sorry  for  my  sin." — Psalm  38:18b. 
"  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee." — Luke  5  :20. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

One  of  the  best  stories  about  the  forgiveness  of  sin  is 
that  of  Zacchseus.  To  his  countrymen  Zacchseus  was  an 
unpatriotic  man.  He  was  a  "  publican,"  and  to  the  Jews 
of  that  time  he  was  despicable  and  unforgivable. 

The  scene  is  located  at  Jericho,  that  old,  old  city  about 
which  we  first  hear  at  the  time  of  the  entrance  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  into  their  Promised  Land.  Because  of  its 
location,  in  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  near  the  Dead  Sea,  and 
eight  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  the  city  had  a  peculiarly  tropical  and 
enervating  climate.  We  notice  in  glancing  over  the  events 
mentioned  in  connection  with  Jericho,  that  many  of  the  in- 
habitants did  not  seem  to  be  possessed  of  very  ambitious  or 
sturdy  ideals — and  probably  the  relaxing  influence  of  the 
climate  had  something  to  do  with  this. 

The  Jericho  of  the  time  of  Christ  was  a  city  of  beautiful 
palm  trees.  The  gardens  were  fragrant  with  the  famous 
Jericho  roses,  and  the  sweet  yellow  and  white  blossoms  of 
the  henna  plant.  The  sycomore  tree  which  is  mentioned  in 
the  story  was  a  sort  of  fig  tree  which  bore  its  fruit  in 
clusters  on  twigs  springing  directly  from  the  trunk.  These 
branches  were  near  the  ground,  and  so  the  tree  was  easily 
climbed. 

_  Among  the  buildings   was   a   splendid   palace   owned   by 
Herod  the  Great,  and  a  hippodrome.     We  also  may  picture 

219 


220  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

the  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  a  rough,  downhill  road 
infested  with  robbers  and  highwaymen. 

Zaccha^us  had  a  home  here,  a  rich  home  built  and  main- 
tained with  the  money  he  gained  in  a  business  which  the 
Jews  hated,  for  he  was  a  publican.  A  publican  was  one  who 
farmed  the  Roman  taxes.  All  these  men  were  wealthy,  and 
they  had  to  give  bonds  and  promises  to  the  Roman  Govern- 
ment. The  overcollectors  generally  let  out  part  of  the  work 
to  subcollectors  and  taxgatherers.  The  Roman  Government 
allowed  a  margin  to  be  kept  as  payment.  This  gave  the 
taxgatherers  an  advantage  over  the  taxpayers  and  the 
margin  became  very  elastic  according  to  the  desires  of  these 
officers.  Naturally,  the  Jews  hated  these  men,  and  most 
especially  they  hated  one  of  their  own  race  who  consented 
to  occupy  the  office.  These  men  were  loathed  and  were  char- 
acterized as  "  sinners." 

Such  a  man  was  Zacchseus,  and  he  was  ostracized  and 
shunned  by  the  members  of  his  own  race. 

The:  Story 

A  great  many  people  were  hurrying  to  get  a  good  place 
to  see,  along  the  road  in  Jericho.  It  was  pleasanter  to  get 
under  the  shade  of  a  tree,  because  it  was  hot — it  was  always 
hot  in  Jericho.  But  if  they  could  not  get  under  a  tree,  the 
people  were  willing  to  stand  in  the  sun. 

**  Jesus  of  Nazareth  will  pass  through  this  street  to-day," 
said  some  one.  "  He  is  on  his  way  to  the  feast  in  Jerusa- 
lem." Then  he  hurried  on,  and  all  who  heard  him  hurried, 
too,  for  they  wanted  to  see. 

"  Who  is  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ?  "  asked  some  one. 

"  Oh,  Jesus  is  the  One  who  has  done  such  wonderful 
things.  Have  you  not  heard  about  him  ?  "  answered  the  man 
who  told  the  news.  "  He  heals  the  sick  whom  no  other 
doctor  can  cure.  He  has  even  opened  the  eyes  of  blind 
men." 

"  He  has  made  lame  men  walk,"  said  some  one. 

"  He  has  even  cured  lepers,"  said  another. 

And  so  the  people  talked,  and  more  and  more  people  gath- 
ered, and  the  street  became  more  and  more  crowded.  Every- 
one wanted  to  see  Jesus. 

Now  there  was  a  certain  man,  a  very  little  man,  walking 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  221 

all  alone — no  one  spoke  to  him — no  one  had  much  to  do  with 
him.     But  he  listened. 

He  was  quite  a  lonely  man,  and  not  very  happy.  This 
might  seem  strange,  too,  because  he  lived  in  a  fine  home,  and 
he  was  rich  enough  to  have  all  the  good  things  he  wanted. 
He  could  have  servants  to  take  care  of  his  house,  and 
servants  to  take  care  of  his  garden,  which,  I  suppose,  was 
sweet  with  Jericho  roses. 

Zacchseus  walked  along,  listening  to  what  the  people  said 
about  Jesus.  Some  of  the  talk  was  about  how  good  Jesus 
had  been  to  sinners. 

Good  to  sinners !  That  made  Zacchseus  begin  to  think  of 
a  great  many  things  which  had  happened  in  his  own  life — 
things  that  he  had  done.  Many  and  many  a  time  he  had 
heard  people  call  him  *'  a  sinner."  He  knew  that  his  neigh- 
bors would  not  even  speak  to  him  because  they  knew  how 
he  got  the  money  to  buy  his  house  and  his  gardens  and  the 
wages  to  pay  his  servants. 

"  Why,  he  is  no  better  than  a  thief !  "  they  would  say. 
"  He  is  not  true  to  his  country !  He  is  the  taxgatherer  for 
the  Romans !  " 

Such  a  man  was  called  a  publican,  and  Zacchaeus  was  a 
publican,  and  a  "  sinner,"  and  no  one  would  be  his  friend. 

As  he  walked  along  that  day,  Zacchaeus  was  ashamed  and 
sorry;  he  made  up  his  mind  to  see  Jesus.  He  would  learn 
whether  Jesus  was  a  friend  of  sinners.  Zacchoeus  wanted  a 
friend. 

The  crowd  grew  bigger,  and  he  hurried  along  with  the 
others.  But  he  was  a  little  man,  and  he  could  not  see  over 
the  heads  of  the  taller  people.  No  one  wanted  to  make 
room  for  Zacchaeus  "  the  sinner."  He  was  in  danger  of  not 
seeing  Jesus  after  all.  A  sycomore  tree  was  growing  by  the 
road.  Like  a  boy  he  climbed  up  into  the  branches.  Then 
he  could  see  right  over  the  heads  of  the  people. 

Presently  some  one  called :  "  Jesus  is  coming !  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  is  coming !  "  and  the  crowd  pressed  closer. 

Jesus  drew  near;  when  he  reached  the  sycomore  tree  he 
stopped.  No  one  needed  to  tell  Jesus  that  there  was  a  man 
named  Zacchseus  up  in  the  tree  looking  down  at  him;  Jesus 
knew  that  Zacchaeus  would  be  there  even  before  he  reached 
the  city.    No  one  even  needed  to  tell  Jesus  this  man's  name, 


222  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

for  he  knew  it.  Indeed,  on©  of  his  reasons  for  passing 
through  Jericho  was  to  find  Zacchaeus. 

"  Zacchaeus,  make  haste  and  come  down,"  said  Jesus.  "  I 
shall  visit  at  your  house  to-day."  Zacchaeus'  heart  gave  a 
great  bound  of  happiness.  No  one  had  cared  to  come  to  his 
house,  but  now  he  had  a  Friend !  He  let  himself  down  from 
the  tree.    He  came  to  Jesus  and  received  him  joyfully. 

"  He  has  gone  to  be  a  guest  with  a  sinner !  He  has  gone 
to  stay  at  the  house  of  a  publican !  "  complained  the  people, 
and  they  were  angry. 

Then  Zacchaeus  told  Jesus  everything;  he  was  sorry  for 
all  the  mean,  dishonest  things  that  he  had  done.  He  said, 
"  Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods  I  shall  give  to  the  poor ;  and  if 
I  have  wrongfully  taken  anything  from  any  man,  I  shall  give 
it  back  fourfold."  This  was  the  promise  that  Zacchaeus 
made  to  Jesus. 

Jesus  was  very  glad  that  Zacchaeus  had  decided  to  do 
what  was  right  and  to  turn  away  from  the  wrong  things 
that  he  had  been  doing.  He  said  :  "  This  day  has  forgiveness 
come  to  this  house.  The  Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  that  which  was  lost." 


Devotional  Se:rvice^ 
bivackboard  reading 


"  I  will  be  sorry  for  my  sin.' 
"  Forgive  us  our  debts." 
"  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee. 


SYNONYM 


"Debt"  .  .  .  sins. 
Prayer:  The  Lord's  Prayer. 


Suggested  Activities 

Copy  one  of  the  Memory  Verses. 

Draw  a  tree  and   represent  the  people  in  the  story  by 
means  of  short,  straight  lines. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  223 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  SHEEP  THAT  WAS  LOST 

Luke  15:3-6;  Matthew  18:12-14 

Memory  Verse 

"  Rejoice  with  me,  for  I  have  found  my  sheep  which  was 
lost."— Luke  15:6. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

The  following  books  will  help  in  the  preparation  of  this 
lesson :  "  Brooks  by  the  Traveler's  Way,''  by  Jowett ;  "  A 
Day  with  the  Good  Shepherd,"  by  Anna  F.  Mamreov ; 
*' Bible  Manners  and  Customs,"  by  Mackie;  "The  Song  of 
Our  Syrian  Guest,"  by  Knight. 

One  of  the  most  familiar  sights  out  on  the  hills  and  over 
the  plains  in  Palestine  was  the  shepherd  caring  for  his 
sheep.  The  shepherd  of  the  Orient  loved  his  sheep,  and  was 
good  to  them.  He  was  their  leader,  and  they  followed  him 
gladly.  They  knew  his  voice  and  answered  when  he  called. 
Never  were  they  willing  to  obey  a  stranger's  voice.  Their 
own  shepherd  was  all  in  all  to  them.  And  well  he  deserved 
the  first  place  in  their  animal  devotion ;  for  he  fed  them, 
gave  them  drink,  bound  up  their  bruises,  and  protected  them 
from  harm,  even  at  the  risk  of  his  life  if  necessary. 

Jesus  turned  to  the  everyday  scenes,  the  homely  affairs  of 
life,  for  his  stories,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  one  of  his  most 
beautiful  parallels,  the  story  to  illustrate  the  yearning  love 
of  God  for  those  who  have  wandered  from  the  paths  of 
righteousness,  his  paths,  was  "  The  Story  of  the  Sheep  that 
Was  Lost." 

Suggestions  for  Gaining  Attention 

A  simple  blackboard  sketch  of  a  lamb  or  of  several  sheep 
will  add  interest  to  this  story.  This  will  not  be  difficult  to 
accomplish  free-hand,  but  if  you  cannot  sketch,  you  may 
buy  a  stencil  at  some  educational  supply  store. 

The  sand  table  will  be  helpful  to-day.  You  may  make 
several  sheep  from  cardboard,  and  also  a  cardboard  shep- 


224  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

herd,  and  let  the  children  arrange  the  flock  correctly,  with 
the  shepherd  leading.  You  may  also  furnish  twigs,  and 
illustrate  the  construction  of  an  Oriental  sheepfold. 

The:  Story 

Once  there  was  a  shepherd  who  had  a  hundred  sheep  in 
his  flock.  He  had  named  them  all,  and  he  knew  them  all 
apart.    He  loved  them  dearly. 

The  sheep  loved  their  shepherd,  too,  and  would  come  to 
him  when  he  called  them. 

The  sheepfold  was  the  place  where  they  stayed  at  night; 
it  was  their  home,  and  it  was  a  safe,  strong  place  something 
like  this  (draw)  ;  it  had  some  sharp,  thorny  twigs  like  this 
around  the  top  of  the  fence  to  keep  robbers  and  wild  animals 
away,  when  the  little  sheep  were  asleep. 

The  good  shepherd  slept  with  his  sheep  at  night  so  that 
they  would  be  quite  safe.  He  would  drive  the  wolves  and 
bears  away,  if  any  came ;  he  would  keep  the  sheep  safe  from 
robbers. 

There  was  a  little,  narrow  door  that  led  out  of  the  fold, 
and  when  the  sun  was  up  and  morning  came,  the  sheep 
would  be  eager  to  get  out,  and  the  shepherd  would  open  the 
door  and  soon  he  would  be  at  the  head  of  the  flock  leading 
them  away  to  the  green  pastures  where  they  could  get  fresh, 
sweet  grass  to  eat. 

Every  day  the  shepherd  carried  his  long  staff  with  a  crook 
at  the  end  like  this  (draw),  and  a  sling  shot  like  this  (draw), 
and  a  bottle  of  oil.  He  needed  the  staff  to  help  himself  over 
the  rocks,  and  also  to  pull  up  any  little  lamb  that  should 
happen  to  fall  and  hurt  itself.  He  needed  the  short  club  to 
drive  away  bears,  wolves,  and  robbers,  if  any  should  happen 
along.  Sometimes  he  needed  a  sling  shot.  And  very  often 
he  needed  the  oil  to  bathe  the  bruises  and  cuts  that  the 
briars  and  sharp  stones  were  bound  to  make  on  the  tender 
feet  or  noses  of  his  sheep. 

This  good  shepherd  always  led  his  sheep;  he  never  fol- 
lowed them.  He  found  the  safest  and  the  best  ways  to  go 
over  the  hills  and  through  the  meadows,  and  sometimes  over 
rocks  and  stony  places  to  get  to  better  pastures.  But  always 
the  sheep  were  safe. 

One  day  the  shepherd  had  to  lead  his  sheep  through  a 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  225 

very  lonely,  rocky,  rough  road ;  it  was  very  hard  on  the  feet. 
But  beyond  it  was  the  greenest  pasture  ground  and  the 
sweetest,  coolest  water. 

"  Come,  Curly  Horn !  Come,  Bright  Eyes,  my  beauty !  " 
he  would  coax.  "  Only  a  little  farther !  "  and  they  would 
run  along  because  they  liked  to  hear  him  speak  to  them. 

"  Come,  my  pets  !    Easy,  easy  Black  Foot !    Not  so  fast !  " 

Very  often  the  shepherd  would  look  back  over  his  flock 
to  see  if  all  were  following.  Presently  he  stopped ;  he 
looked  again ;  he  said :  "  One  of  my  sheep  is  not  here  !  "  then 
he  counted  again. 

"  One,  two,  three,"  he  counted  till  he  said,  "  ninety-nine !  " 

"  One  is  missing ;  there  should  be  a  hundred.  One  of  my 
sheep  is  lost !  It  is  Black  Foot !  Yes,  it  is  Black  Foot !  He 
sometimes  will  not  listen  to  my  voice.  Poor  little  Black 
Foot !  "  and  the  shepherd  sighed,  for  he  loved  the  little  sheep 
that  so  often  wandered  away  from  the  flock. 

He  thought  of  the  lonely  way  just  passed ;  he  thought  of 
the  bears  and  wolves.  He  remembered  the  steep  places  where 
the  rocks  were  so  sharp. 

"  Poor  little  Black  Foot !  "  and  the  shepherd  wondered 
if  his  pet  was  bleeding  and  dying  out  among  the  rocks.  "  I 
will  not  leave  him  to  die  alone !  "  he  exclaimed.  Then  he 
took  the  rest  of  the  flock  to  the  fold  where  they  would  be 
safe.  He  clutched  his  stout  club ;  he  climbed  over  the  rocks  ; 
he  looked  into  the  dark  caves.  *'  Ho  !  Ho !  Black  Foot !  "  he 
called  over  and  over  again. 

After  a  while,  afar  off,  came  a  faint  answer.  "  Ba-a-a ! 
Ba-a-a !  " 

The  shepherd  hurried  in  the  direction  of  the  faint  call. 
By  and  by  he  found  the  sheep,  away  down  among  the  sharp 
rocks  where  he  had  fallen  when  he  had  disobeyed  and  had 
left  the  flock.  He  was  bruised  and  bleeding;  indeed  he  was 
half  dead. 

The  good  shepherd  climbed  down  over  the  rocks.  It  was 
a  wonder  that  he  did  not  fall;  as  it  was,  his  hands  were 
torn  and  cut.  But  he  did  not  mind ;  he  reached  down  and 
lifted  the  sheep  to  a  safe  place ;  then  he  carried  it  in  his  arms 
all  the  way  back  to  the  fold. 

"  PIo !  Ho !  "  he  called  to  his  neighbors  as  he  reached  his 
home.     "  Rejoice !     I  have  found  my  sheep  that  was  lost !  " 


226  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Are  you  not  glad  that  Jesus  is  like  that  good  shepherd,  and 
that  we  are  like  his  sheep?  Does  this  not  make  you  love 
Jesus  very,  very  dearly? 

Devotionai,  Service: 

Find  the  Twenty-third  Psalm  in  the  Bible.  Explain  that 
this  is  a  song  written  by  a  real  shepherd.  Tell  that  he  knew 
that  God  is  like  a  shepherd  and  we  are  like  his  sheep.  Draw 
the  parallel  verse  by  verse  as  graphically  as  you  are  able. 
Get  as  much  of  this  psalm  memorized  as  possible.  It  may  be 
that  you  will  in  your  particular  class  have  some  children 
who  know  a  portion  of  the  psalm  ;  build  upon  this  knowledge 
and  make  the  learning  of  the  psalm  a  portion  of  a  home- 
work assignment.  Keep  at  this  till  the  psalm  is  a  familiar 
portion  of  your  class  memory  work. 

Songs 

"  Jesus,  Tender  Shepherd." 
"  Gracious  Saviour,  Gentle  Shepherd." 
"  The  Twenty-third  Psalm"  (Chant). 
"  There's  a  Fold  Both  Safe  and  Happy." 

Suggested  Activity 

Set  up  a  sheepfold,  flock  of  sheep,  and  shepherd  on  the 
sand  table. 


GOD  THE  GIVER  OF  LIFE  ON  EARTH  AND  IN 
HEAVEN 


CHAPTER  XXV 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  AWAKENING  OF  HIDDEN  LIFE 
Job  37:6,  9.  10;  Psalm  147:15-18;  Song  of  Solomon  2  :1 1-13 

Memory  Vkrsiv 

"  He  hath  made  everything  beautiful  in  its  time." — 
Ecclesiastes  3  :11a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Read  over  carefully  the  Bible  verses  selected  and  let  them 
make  a  mental  picture  for  you  of  God's  changing  seasons. 
At  this  "  awakening  time  ''  of  the  year  let  the  words  carry 
to  you  yourself  a  bigger,  sweeter,  and  more  wonderful  mes- 
sage than  ever  before. 

Once  more  the  heavenly  Power 

Makes  all  things  new, 
And  domes  the  red-plowed  hills 

With  living  blue ; 
The  blackbirds  have  their  wills, 

The  throstles,  too. 

Opens  a  door  in  heaven; 

From  skies  of  glass 
A  Jacob's  ladder  falls 

On  greening  grass. 
And  o'er  the  mountain  walls 

Young  angels  pass. 

— Alfred  Tennyson. 

Do  not  attempt  a  scentific  nature  lesson ;  just  try  to  show 
the  springtime  to  the  children,  and  help  them  to  understand 
something  of  God's  power  and  his  care  over  all  his  world. 

Literature  is  full  of  beautiful  selections  which  will  help 
you.  Choose  what  will  appeal  to  your  class,  and  construct 
a  little  dramatic  illustration  of  spring's  awakening. 

Use  the  Song  of  Solomon  2:11-13  as  the  nucleus  of  your 

229 


230  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

lesson.  Have  it  written  upon  the  blackboard  for  a  reading 
lesson,  or  for  any  other  purpose  that  you  may  find  helpful 
for  your  class. 

A  glance  through  the  following  exercise  will  show  that 
it  is  very  elastic  and  may  be  elaborated  as  much  as  you  like. 
You  may  supply  more  or  less  stage  efifect,  costumes,  music, 
and  recitations  or  you  may  reduce  it  almost  to  the  simplicity 
of  a  game.  You  may  begin  it  this  week,  giving  pieces  to 
learn  for  "  home  work,"  and  add  to  this  repertoire  from  week 
to  week,  giving  the  exercise  over  and  over  before  or  after 
your  regular  lessons. 

The  Awakening  oe  Hidden  Liee 

All  the  class  is  to  participate.  Those  who  do  not  have  a 
piece  are  to  sing  the  spring  songs. 

Spring  (the  chief  character),  one  of  the  larger  girls  of 
the  class.  Any  number  of  characters  that  you  wish  such  as : 
Daffy-Down-Dieey;  Baby  Seeds;  Robin. 

The  stage  may  be  decorated  in  any  way  that  you  may 
devise  to  represent  spring.  Place  an  improvised  throne  to 
one  side  for  the  character  "  Spring."  The  children  repre- 
senting the  "  sleeping  flowers,  birds,  beasts,  and  so  forth  " 
sit  round  the  edge  or  in  a  large  semicircle,  as  if  asleep.  Caps 
of  tissue  paper  are  easily  constructed  and  help  to  create  the 
illusion  desired. 

Four  children  representing  the  seasons,  one  of  them  being 
"  Spring,"  our  leading  character,  march  slowly  and  grace- 
fully round  and  round  several  times,  one  of  them  repeating 
the  following  verse.  Then  Spring  takes  her  place  on  the 
raised  throne  while  the  others  retire  from  the  stage. 
Four  Seasons  (circling  about)  : 

THE  YEAR 

The  year  is  a  circle, 
One,  two,  three,  and  four 
The  seasons  that  make  it, 
And  o'er  and  o'er  and  o'er 
Each  follows  another. 
So  therefore  'tis  plain 
That  when  winter's  ending, 
Spring's  coming  again. 

— WiLHELMINA    SEEGMILLER. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


231 


Spring  takes  her  seat. 

Song  by  Class  :  "  Spring  Is  Coming." 

Spring  116  ComtnG 


English 

Allegretto 


T.  E.  Morrell 


1.  Spring    is      com  -  ing,  spring   is 

2.  Spring    is      com  -  ing,  spring  is 
■<^  ^ I , I 1—, 


7?? ^ ^-=1 

_^ ^— 

F^=S 

E^^±= 

-1 — 

:.-ja 

--^ 

com   -  ing, 

1        1=3 

Rob    -    ins, 

— ? * « h-z^- tz«= 

rob  -    ing,  build  your    nest;     Weave 

to- 

com   -  ing,  Flowers  are 

com  -  ing, 

com  -  ing 

too;     ] 
1 — 1 

[^an    - 

-  -J 

sies, 

..-.1—1 

— J — 

y^-tW — iH 

r 1»  - 

^=^-- 

^^ 

^-^ 

-^ 

F? 

=^ 

^Vfr-F r- 

-^ ^~ 

1 

1 

^-F— 

fc 

A 

geth  -  er  straw  and  feath  -  er,    Do  -  ing  each  your  ver  -  y     best, 
lil  -    ies,    daf  -  f  o  -  dil  -  ies.    Now  are    com-  ing,  com  -  ing  through. 


From  "New  Educational  Music  Course,  for  Elementary 
Grades,  Teacher's  Edition,"  by  McLaughlin  and  Gilchrist.  Used 
by  permission  of  the  publishers,  Ginn  &  Co. 


232  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Spring: 

"  For,  lo,  the  winter  is  past ; 
The  rain  is  over  and  gone ; 
The  flowers  appear  on  the  earth ; 
The  time  of  tJie  singing  of  birds  is  come, 
And  the  voice  of  the  turtle-dove  is  heard  in  our  land." 

Music  (played  softly.     Class  sings  la,  la,  accompaniment.) 
"  Spring  is  Coming." 

Spring: 

"  Pussy  Willow,  awake!  (wields  her  wand) 
Wake  up  little  gray  pussy!     Aha!  Ha! 
She  is  dressed  in  fur  from  top  to  toe ! 
Quite  wise,  pussy,  for  the  winds  are  still  cold." 

Class:  A  wind  song  (hummed  with  the  syllable  oo-oo.) 
Pussy    (opens   her   eyes   sleepily   and   goes   to   stand   near 

Spring.) 
Spring  :  ''  Daffy-down-dilly  !    Come,  daffy,  you  have  a  story 

to  tell  us  !  " 

Daffy- Do wn-DilIvY  : 

"  Daffy-down-dilly 

Came  up  in  the  cold, 

Through  the  brown  mold, 
Although  the  IVIarch  breezes 

Blew  keen  on  her  face 
Although  the  white  snow 

Lay  on  many  a  place." 

Class:  "Spring  Is  Coming."     (Second  verse.) 

Spring:  **  My  Baby  Seeds  are  beginning  to  wake  up.  Come, 

little  ones  !    What  have  you  to  say  for  yourselves  ?  " 
Baby  Sh;fd  Song  (arrange  as  a  dialogue  for  two  children 

representing  *'  little  brown  seeds." 

"  Little  brown  brother,  oh,  little  brown  brother, 

Are  you  awake  in  the  dark? 
Here  we  lie  cozily,  close  to  each  other  : 

Hark  to  the  song  of  the  lark — 
*  Waken ! '  the  lark  says,  '  waken  and  dress  you ; 

Put  on  your  green  coats  and  gay, 
Blue  sky  will  shine  on  you,  sunshine  caress  you — 

*  Waken  !  'tis  morning — 'tis  May  ! ' 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  233 

"  Little  brown  brother,  oh,  little  brown  brother, 
What  kind  of  flower  will  you  be? 
I'll  be  a  poppy— all  white,  like  my  mother ; 

Do  be  a  poppy  like  me. 
What!  you're  a  sunflower?     How  I  shall  miss  you 

When  you've  grown  golden  and  high  ! 
But  I  shall  send  all  the  bees  up  to  kiss  you, 
Little  brown  brother,  good-by." 

— Edith  Xesbit. 

Spring:  "Hark,  I  hear  the  raindrops!  Welcome,  rain!" 
(A  good  rain  song  may  be  found  in  "  The  New  Educa- 
tional Music  Course  for  Elementary  Grades,  Teacher's 
Edition,"  "Rain,"  page  1.) 

Spring:  "Scamper  away,  now,  little  Raindrops!  Here  is 
the  first  robin  !  " 

Robin  : 

"  From  the  elm  tree's  topmost  bough, 
Hark,  the  robin's  early  song! 
Telling  one  and  all  that  now 

Merry  springtime  hastes  along; 
Welcorne  tidings  dost  thou  bring. 
Little  harbinger  of  spring! 
Robin's  come !  " 

— William  Warner  Caldwell. 

Reprinted  by  permission  of  the  editor.  Burton  E.  Stevenson,  from 
"The  Home  Book  of  Verse  for  Young  Folks." 

Spring  :  "  Wake  up,  Daisies  and  Buttercups  !  " 
Daisies  and  Buttercups: 

"  Heigho  !  daisies  and  buttercups, 
Fair  vellow  daffodils,  stately  and  tall ! 
Oh,  when  the  wind  wakes,  how  they  rock  in  the  grass, 
And  dance  with  the  cuckoo  buds  slender  and  small." 

— Jean  Ingelow. 

(Note:  Add  other  flower  verses  if  you  wish  to  lengthen 
the  exercise.) 

Spring  rises  from  her  chair  and  stands  in  the  center  of  the 
stage  and  recites : 

"For,  lo,  the  winter  is  past; 
The  rain  is  over  and  gone. 
The  flow^ers  appear  on  the  earth; 
The  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is  come. 
And  the  voice  of  the  turtle-dove  is  heard  in  our  land." 


234  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

The^  Flowers  and  all  join  hands  and  circle  round  her  sing- 
ing, "  We  Thank  Thee,  O  Our  Father  (two  verses). 
From   "  Worship  and    Song,"   page   60.      (The   Pilgrim 
Press.) 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

"  BEHOLD  THE  BIRDS  .  .  .  CONSIDER  THE 
LILIES  " 

Matthew  5:1;  6:26,  27b;  14:13;  19:1;  Review  Song  of 
Solomon  2:11-13. 

Memory  Versk 

"  He  hath  made  everything  beautiful  in  its  time." — 
Ecclesiastes  3:11a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

One  of  the  never-to-be-forgotten  things  that  it  is  possible 
for  a  teacher  to  do  for  a  class  is  to  arrange  for  a  spring 
walk.  The  time  in  reference  to  this  particular  lesson,  of 
course,  will  depend  upon  the  mildness  of  the  opening  days 
of  spring;  in  some  years  such  an  expedition  can  be  made 
considerably  earlier  than  in  others.  You  might  teach  both 
this  lesson  and  the  lesson  preceding,  and  so  prepare  and 
plan  for  the  walk  in  the  near  future.  The  excursion  will 
mean  more  after  you  have  made  this  study  prelude. 

During  the  week  call  attention  to  the  early  signs  of 
spring ;  let  the  children  listen  for  the  first  bird  songs ;  talk 
about  the  plowing  or  the  recently  plowed  ground ;  gather  the 
first  spring  flowers  and  some  of  the  budding  twigs.  Recall 
the  stories  that  Jesus  told  about  the  fields,  the  vineyards,  the 
fig  trees,  the  sower  sowing  his  seed,  the  flowers,  and  the 
birds. 

Let  some  of  the  children  recite  their  pieces  as  you  walk 
along  the  country  roads.  Let  several  repeat  verses  from  the 
selection  from  the  Song  of  Solomon  (chapter  2:11-13.) 
Considerable  time  may  be  necessary  for  this.  If  it  has  been 
partially  taught,  perfect  weak  places,  or  review. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  235 

When  Jesus  lived  upon  earth,  he  loved  the  springtime. 
He  often  walked  out  into  the  country  because  it  made  him 
feel  rested  when  he  was  tired.  He  would  take  his  twelve 
friends,  his  disciples,  with  him. 

One  day  he  and  his  disciples  went  out  into  the  country 
and  up  on  a  mountain.  There  were  flowers  and  birds  all 
round  about;  it  was  a  beautiful  place.  Jesus  said  a  great 
many  things  that  day.  He  wanted  those  who  were  with  him 
to  love  God  and  to  know  more  about  God's  love  for  them. 
He  knew  that  out  in  the  country  was  a  good  place  to  think 
about  God. 

While  he  was  talking  he  said :  "  Look  at  the  birds.  They 
do  not  sow  or  reap.    God  feeds  them.    They  have  enough." 

There  were  lovely  lilies  all  round,  coming  up  from  the 
ground.  Jesus  had  seen  them  every  spring  since  he  was  a 
little  boy;  he  had  gathered  many  a  bunch  to  give  to  his 
mother. 

He  said :  "  Look  at  the  lilies !  How  they  grow !  They 
neither  work  nor  spin ;  yet  they  are  more  beautifully  clothed 
than  King  Solomon  in  all  his  glory.    God  clothes  them." 

Then  he  told  how  much  more  God  loves  people  than  he 
loves  the  birds  and  the  lilies.  He  told  how  God  would  take 
care  of  them. 

Another  spring  day  Jesus  took  quite  a  long  trip  out  into 
the  country.  He  was  very  tired,  because  he  had  l3een  heal- 
ing and  helping  a  great  many  people.  He  wanted  to  rest. 
But  when  the  people  found  out  where  he  had  gone,  they  fol- 
lowed after,  and  so  they  all  went  out  into  the  country. 
Jesus  let  them  stay,  because  he  was  glad  they  wanted  to  be 
with  him.  He  talked  to  them  so  long,  and  they  wanted  so 
much  to  hear  what  he  was  saying,  that  they  went  without 
eating  for  a  long  time. 

Jesus  knew  that  they  must  be  hungry,  and  so  he  told  them 
all  to  sit  down  on  the  green  grass. 

A  little  boy  had  a  lunch  of  five  small  loaves  like  little 
cakes,  and  two  small  fishes.  Jesus  asked  for  the  boy's  lunch  ; 
he  blessed  it  and  told  the  disciples  to  pass  it  around.  Won- 
derful to  tell,  there  was  enough  for  all  that  company  of 
thousands  of  people.  When  all  had  had  enough,  twelve 
baskets  full  of  food  were  gathered  up. 

That  was  a  wonderful  spring  walk  for  those  people,  was 


236  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

it  not  ?  Don't  you  think  that  the  birds  and  the  flowers  and 
everything  that  comes  in  the  spring  were  always  more  beau- 
tiful to  those  people  after  that  day? 

It  was  when  Jesus  and  his  disciples  were  taking  a  long, 
long  spring  walk,  going  from  the  city  by  the  sea  where  he 
had  lived  to  the  great  city  of  Jerusalem,  that  some  mothers 
brought  their  little  children  to  him.  All  the  children  loved 
Jesus  and  wanted  to  come  to  him  that  spring  day.  He 
blessed  them  and  held  them  in  his  arms. 

He  said :  "  Let  the  children  come  to  me.  They  do  not 
bother  me.  I  love  them.  Let  them  come."  And  all  the 
children  remembered  that  spring  day. 


Devotional  Service 

Blackboard  Reading  Lesson  :  Song  of  Solomon  2 :11-13. 

Songs  :  "  Loving  Care,"  in  Carols." 

*'  Hymn  of  Praise,"  in  "  Carols." 
"  God's  Work,"  in  "  Carols." 
"  Shiny  Brown  Seed  "  in  "  Carols." 
"  Waiting  to  Grow,"  in  "  Carols." 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 


Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Make  a  basket  for  flowers  gathered  on  your  walk  to  send 
to  some  shut-in. 

Cut  out  and  mount  springtime  pictures. 

A  Poem  to  Read  on  the  Spring  Walk 
daffy-down-diely 

Daffy-down-dilly 

Came  up  in  the  cold, 

Through  the  brown  mold, 
Although  the  March  breezes 

Blew  keen  on  her  face, 
Although  the  white  snow 

Lay  on  many  a  place. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  237 

Daffy-down-dilly 

Had  heard  underground 

The  sweet  rushing  sound 
Of  the  streams,  as  they  broke 

From  their  white  winter  chains, 
Of  the  whisthng  spring  winds 

And  the  pattering  rains. 

"Now  then,"  thought  Daffy, 

Deep  down  in  her  heart,  ^^ 

"  It's  time  I  should  start." 
So  she  pushed  her  soft  leaves 

Through  the  hard-frozen  ground, 
Quite  up  to  the  surface, 

And  then  she  looked  round. 

There  was  snow  all  about  her, 

Gray  clouds  overhead ; 

The  trees  all  looked  dead. 
Then  how  do  you  think 

Poor  Daffy-down  felt. 
When  the  sun  would  not  shine 

And  the  ice  would  not  melt? 

"  Cold  weather  !  "  thought  Daffy, 

Still  working  away. 

"The  earth's  hard  to-day! 
There's  but  a  half  inch 

Of  my  leaves  to  be  seen. 
And  two  third's  of  that 

Is  more  yellow  than  green. 

"  I  can't  do  much  yet ; 

But  I  do  what  I  can. 

It's  well  I  began! 
For,  unless  I  can  manage 

To  lift  up  my  head, 
The  people  will  think 

That  the  Spring  herself's  dead." 

So,  little  by  little, 

She  brought  her  leaves  out, 

All  clustered  about; 
And  then  her  bright  flowers 

Began  to  unfold. 
Till  Daffy  stood  robed 
In  her  spring  green  and  gold. 

— Miss  \Varnh:r. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

JESUS  RISEN 
Matthew  28:1-10 
Memory  Verse 
"  He  is  risen." — Matthew  28 :6. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

If  this  lesson  and  the  next  do  not  come  at  exactly  the 
right  time  for  Easter  week  of  this  year,  they  may  easily  be 
rearranged  by  the  teacher. 

Devote  two  lessons  to  the  Easter  story.  For  this  Week 
Day  Session  tell  the  story  to  the  children.  After  the  story 
has  been  given,  the  following  lesson  may  be  more  in  the 
form  of  a  devotional  service.  Preparation  will  be  needed 
for  this,  and  time  for  the  learning  of  both  Bible  passages 
and  Easter  selections.  The  teacher  will  need  to  copy  the 
pieces  and  assign  them  for  home-work  learning.  The  selec- 
tions are  simple. 

Lay  the  stress  upon  the  joy  of  the  season.  Have  an  Easter 
lily  for  your  classroom  decoration,  if  possible. 

If  you  have  planted  seeds  in  boxes,  during  your  spring 
lessons,  or  perhaps  lily  or  other  kinds  of  bulbs,  call  attention 
to  the  signs  of  life. 

The  Story 

It  was  Friday  when  Jesus  died,  and  since  that  time  his 
friends  had  mourned  for  him.  They  had  buried  him  in  a 
tomb,  in  a  garden,  and  a  great,  heavy  stone  was  rolled 
against  the  doorway.  It  was  sealed  tight,  and  soldiers  were 
put  there  to  watch  by  night  and  by  day. 

Friday  was  such  a  long,  long  day,  and  so  was  Saturday; 
but  at  last  they  were  over. 

238 


TRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  239 

Some  women  said,  "  We  will  go  visit  Jesus'  grave,  early 
Sunday  morning." 

"  Yes,  we  will  take  some  sweet  spices.  That  is  all  we 
can  do." 

And  so  they  prepared  their  gifts,  and  waited. 

Very  early  in  the  morning,  Sunday  morning,  as  soon  as 
the  first  rays  of  light  began  to  come  and  they  could  find  their 
way,  they  started.  They  talked  about  Jesus  on  the  road,  and 
about  the  dreadful  things  that  had  happened. 

"  That  heavy  stone  is  at  the  door  of  the  tomb,"  said  one 
woman. 

"  I  wonder  who  will  roll  it  away  for  us  ?  "  said  another. 

But  when  they  drew  near,  they  found  that  the  stone  was 
already  rolled  away;  they  entered  the  tomb  and  saw  an 
angel  clothed  in  a  white  garment  sitting  on  the  right  side. 
He  said  to  the  frightened  women :  "  Be  not  amazed.  Ye 
seek  Jesus  who  was  crucified.  He  is  risen ;  he  is  not  here. 
See  the  place  where  they  laid  him!  Go  tell  his  disciples. 
Tell  Peter.  He  has  gone  before  you  into  Galilee.  Ye  shall 
see  him  there,  as  he  told  you." 

Then  the  women  ran  out  of  the  tomb  into  the  sunshine 
and  happiness  of  the  first  Easter  Sunday.  They  ran  with 
the  wonderful  news. 

When  Mary  Magdalene  was  standing  in  the  garden,  weep- 
ing, and  looking  into  the  empty  tomb  because  she  thought 
Jesus'  body  had  been  stolen  away,  Jesus  himself  drew  near. 

He  said,  **  Woman,  why  weepest  thou?  whom  seekest 
thou?" 

Mary  did  not  know  Jesus.  She  thought  Jesus  was  the 
gardener,  for  her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  she  said,  "  Sir, 
if  thou  hast  taken  him  away,  tell  me  where  thou  hast  laid 
him,  and  I  will  take  him  away." 

Jesus  then  said,  **  Mary,"  and  Mary  knew  her  Lord.  She 
exclaimed,  "  Teacher  !  " 

Jesus  met  the  women  as  they  were  hurrying  from  the 
tomb  with  the  happy  news ;  he  also  appeared  to  Peter.  In 
the  evening  of  the  same  day,  he  joined  two  friends  who  were 
walking  out  into  the  country,  talking  of  the  things  that  had 
happened  during  the  past  few  days.  And  theiV  day,  too, 
ended  joyfully,  for  they  also  learned  that  Jesus  had  risen 
and  was  alive  again. 


240  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Devotional,  Service 

Read  the  story  directly  from  the  Bible,  and  try  to  help  the 
children  to  visualize  it  very  clearly.  Explain  what  you  want 
them  to  do  for  the  next  lesson.  Assign  the  portions  to  be 
learned. 

Teach  one  or  more  Easter  songs.  Adapt  the  amount  both 
of  memory  work  and  of  the  song  service  to  your  class. 

Prayer 
Heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  sending  Jesus  to  live 
here  for  a  little  while.  We  thank  thee  for  all  that  he  did 
for  us.  We  thank  thee  that  he  rose  from  the  dead.  We 
thank  thee  for  Easter  and  all  the  gladness  that  it  means. 
Amen. 

Suggested  Activity 
Make  an  Easter  booklet  or  bookmark  to  give  as  an  Easter 
gift. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

EASTER  SERVICE 

Matthew  28:1-10;  Mark  16:1-7 

Related  selections  of  children's  verse. 

Memory  Verse 
"  He  is  risen."— Matthew  28  :6. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 
Use  this  opportunity  to  clarify  and   impress   the   Easter 
Lesson.    Simplify  as  you  need  in  your  class. 

An  Easter  Service 
''  HE  IS  risen  " 
Recitation  : 

This  is  my  Father's  world. 

Should  my  heart  be  ever  sad? 
The  Lord  is  King — let  the  heavens  ring 

God  reigns — let  the  earth  be  glad. 

— Maltbie;  D.  Babcock. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 
Song  :  By  the  Primary  Department,  "  To  Our  King." 

Zo  ©ur  IktUG 


241 


Isaac  Watts 


rn=zjs=:z^ 


— -t — « 


Chas.  E.  Boyd  * 


It     j»-- 


m 


t  Hal  -  le  -  lu  -  jah,    Hal-le  -  lu  -   jab,  Hal-le-  lu-  jah  to  our  King! 


1.  This   is  the  day  the  Lord  hath  made.He  calls  the  hours  his     own:    Let 

2.  Ho  -san-nasto  the  a-noint  ed  King,  To    Da-vid's  ho  -  ly      Sonl     Help 

3.  Ho-san-na  in    the  highest  strains  The  Church  on  earth  can  raise;  The 


^ 


3^*33 


t^ 


-f—ir^^-t 


■-S^S: 


m^^ 


■^ 


p^ 


5= 


3.^*: 


D.C. 


heaven  re- joice,  let     earth  be    glad,  And  praise  sur -round  his  throne. 

U3,         0    Lord,  de  -  scend  and  bring  Sal    -  va  -  tion  from  thy  throne, 

high  -  est  heavens  in    which  he  reigns,  Shall  give  him  no  -  bier  praise. 

4- 


H 


*  All  rights  reserved. 

t  The  first  line  is  sung  after  the  last  stanza. 


242  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Recitation.  By  a  Primary  Child :  "  And  when  the  Sab- 
bath was  past,  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary  the  mother  of 
James,  and  Salome,  bought  spices,  that  they  might  come  and 
anoint  him.  And  very  early  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
they  come  to  the  tomb  when  the  sun  was  risen." 

Piano  is  played  softly :  "  Christ  Is  Risen  from  the  Dead." 
(See  music  at  the  end  of  service.) 

Recitation.  By  Primary  Child :  "  And  they  were  saying 
among  themselves,  Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  from 
the  door  of  the  tomb?  and  looking  up,  they  see  that  the  stone 
is  rolled  back :  for  it  was  exceeding  great." 

Piano  repeats  softly :  "  Christ  Is  Risen  from  the  Dead." 

Recitation.  By  a  Primary  Child :  "  And  entering  into 
the  tomb,  they  saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the  right  side, 
arrayed  in  a  white  robe ;  and  they  were  amazed." 

Piano  repeats  softly :  "  Christ  Is  Risen  from  the  Dead." 

Recitation.  By  a  Primary  Child :  "  x\nd  he  saith  unto 
them,  Be  not  amazed :  ye  seek  Jesus,  the  Nazarene,  who  hath 
been  crucified :  he  is  risen ;  he  is  not  here :  behold,  the  place 
where  they  laid  him !  " 

Recitation.  By  a  Primary  Child :  "  But  go,  tell  his  dis- 
ciples and  Peter,  He  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee:  there 
shall  ye  see  him,  as  he  said  unto  you." 

Piano  (exultingly)  :  The  first  line  of  "  To  Our  King." 
(Then  the  children  sing  the  words.) 

Recitation  : 

Thine 

Whose  eye  foresaw  this  way? 

Not  mine. 
Whose  hand  marked  out  this  day? 

Not  mine. 

A  clearer  eye  than  mine, 

'Twas  thine. 
A  wiser  hand  than  mine, 

'Twas  thine. 

— Maltrie  D.  Babcock. 

Song.  By  the  Primary  Department  (w^ith  jubilant  ex- 
pression) :  "  To  Our  King." 


PRIMARY  CTTURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


243 


SuGGE:sTr:D  Activity 

You  may  need  to  omit  any  other  work  in  connection  with 
this  lesson ;  but  if  an  expressional  activity  is  desired,  you 
may  make  httle  Easter  bookmarks  of  strips  of  paper.  Decor- 
ate one  end  with  a  picture  cut-out  or  a  seal  of  appropriate 
spring  design.  Let  the  children  copy  upon  these  the  Memory 
Verse  for  the  day  or  the  words  "  Happy  Easter." 

Your  class  may  send  a  bunch  of  spring  flowers  to  some 
place  where  a  message  of  cheer  is  needed. 

You  may  buy  Easter  postals,  or  let  each  of  the  children 
buy  one,  and  prepare  for  a  children's  hospital  or  for  one 
child  who  is  ill. 


Cbrtst  IFs  IRtsen  trom  tbe  H)ea& 


P 


R.  Farrant 


Christ  is  risen 
For  since  by 
For  as  in 


-^^ 


from  the 

man         came 
Adam  all 


dead, 

death, 
die, 


mi 


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, — 1 — 

— =j 1 

-  ^ u_ 

z 



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— 3— 

— ^— 

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And  become  the  first 

fruits 

of 

them    that     slept. 

By  man  came  also  the  resu 

r-rec  - 

tion 

of      the     dead. 

Even  so  in  Christ  shall 

all 

be 

made       a  -    live.      A  -  men. 

X2. 
p— 1 

^^■ 

F=S' — ^-\ 

^=f^ 

=i-jj 

^^ ^ 

Lp= 

— ^ 1 

"  1        r 



—6* 

1 — +1 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

A  WONDERFUL  SPRING  WALK 

Luke  24:13-44 

Memory  VersE 

"  Jesus  himself  drew  near,  and  went  with  them." — Luke 
24:15b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Emmaus  was  a  Httle  village  between  seven  and  eight  miles 
from  Jerusalem.  Authorities  differ  as  to  the  exact  location. 
Two  of  Jesus'  friends  were  walking  out  from  Jerusalem  on 
the  afternoon  of  that  first  Easter  Sunday  toward  this  village, 
discussing  the  event  which  so  recently  had  occurred:  the 
crucifixion  on  Calvary  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

But  to  them  the  event  had  been  revealed  in  a  new  light; 
the  report  of  the  women  who  had  visited  the  tomb  that 
morning  had  reached  them.  WHAT  COULD  IT  MEAN  ? 
They  had  looked  upon  Jesus  as  their  Hope  of  a  long- 
expected  improvement  in  Israel's  condition — temporal,  of 
course,  for  they  had  not  grasped  the  higher  significance  of 
the  change  that  Christ  had  come  to  make  for  them.  These 
hopes  had  been  dashed  by  the  crucifixion  and  death.  But 
the  report  of  the  women — what  could  it  mean?  This  was 
the  burden  of  their  conversation,  and  it  is  not  difBcult  to 
conjecture  the  "  questionings "  as  the  tw^o  men  walked 
leisurely  along  that  springtime  afternoon. 

Try  to  make  this  picture  and  the  surprise  very  real  to 
your  pupils  this  day. 

The  Story 

It  was  Sunday  afternoon  in  the  springtime.  The  sun  was 
no  longer  just  overhead,  but  was  getting  on  toward  the  west. 
Two  men  who  had  been  in  the  big  city  of  Jerusalem  that  day 

244 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  245 

were  going  to  the  little  town  called  Enimaus.  It  was  nearly 
eight  miles  away.  They  were  going  to  walk,  and  eight  miles 
to  travel  on  foot  before  sunset  was  a  long  distance.  So 
they  started. 

They  were  very  sober-looking  men;  yes,  they  were  sad- 
looking.  Just  as  soon  as  they  left  the  big,  big  gate  of  the 
city,  and  got  out  into  the  country,  they  began  talking  to- 
gether. At  first  their  work  led  downhill,  and  was  very 
steep,  because  the  city  was  built  up  on  a  hill.  They  walked 
more  slowly  after  they  reached  the  bottom  of  the  hill. 

They  did  not  pay  much  attention  to  the  hill,  or  to  the 
stones  that  might  have  hurt  their  feet.  They  did  not  notice 
the  pretty  pink-and- white  blossoms  that  w^ere  just  coming 
into  bloom  on  the  almond  trees.  They  did  not  look  down 
into  the  little  brook  or  listen  to  the  songs  of  the  birds,  even 
though  it  was  springtime.  They  were  too  busy  talking 
together. 

I  do  not  know  just  exactly  what  they  said,  but  it  must 
have  been  something  like  this : 

"  It  is  good  to  get  away  from  Jerusalem,  Cleopas.  My 
head  is  tired  and  my  heart  is  sad.  Things  are  not  the  same 
since  our  Friend  is  gone." 

"  No !  Jesus  is  dead !  I  say  the  words,  yet  I  cannot  yet 
believe  that  w^e  shall  not  see  him,"  answered  the  other  man. 

"  But  it  is  only  too  true.  He  was  put  in  the  tomb  in  the 
garden,  and  the  door  was  sealed.    Jesus  is  dead." 

"  Yet  what  can  you  make  of  that  story  which  the  women 
told  this  morning  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  It  was  a  strange  tale.  I  never  heard 
anything  like  it  before.  They  said  they  went  to  the  tomb 
with  spices  and  found  the  stone  rolled  away,  and  that  the 
tomb  was  empty,"  said  the  other  man  wonderingly. 

"  Yes,  Jesus  was  gone !  And  what  was  that  strange  tale 
about  an  angel  that  the  women  told  ?  "  asked  Cleopas. 

"  Mary  Magdalene  told  it.  She  said  they  had  been  won- 
dering how  to  get  the  stone  away,  and  when  they  reached 
the  place  the  stone  was  rolled  back.  An  angel  was  sitting 
at  the  tomb.  He  spoke  to  them  and  bade  them  not  to  be 
frightened ;  that  Jesus  was  risen  from  the  dead !  " 

"  Risen  from  the  dead !  "  repeated  the  other.  ''  A  strange, 
strange  story  I^You  say  Mary  Magdalene  told  it  ?  " 


246  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  Yes !  And  Salome,  also,  and  Mary  the  mother  of 
James !  " 

"  Mary  the  mother  of  James  told  it !  And  Salome  !  Both 
honorable  women !  " 

"  But  it  is  a  strange  story !    Jesus  risen  from  the  dead !  " 

The  two  men  had  not  noticed  that  a  Stranger  had  been 
walking  along  the  road  and  had  caught  up  with  them.  Now 
he  began  speaking. 

"  What  are  these  things  that  you  are  saying  ?  "  asked  the 
Stranger. 

The  two  men  stood  still  and  looked  at  him  in  wonder  and 
sadness.  Was  there  anyone  in  all  Jerusalem  who  did  not 
know  that  Jesus  had  been  crucified?  Who  could  this  man 
be  ?    From  where  could  he  have  come  ? 

"  Are  you  alone  the  only  man  in  all  Jerusalem  who  does 
not  know  about  the  things  that  have  happened  ? "  asked 
Cleopas. 

"  What  things  ?  "  asked  the  Man. 

"  The  things  that  happened  to  Jesus,"  and  then  they  both 
began  to  talk.  They  could  not  say  enough  of  the  wonderful 
things  that  Jesus  had  done. 

"  We  thought  he  was  going  to  be  our  King.  But  now  he 
is  dead !  They  crucified  him  out  on  the  hill !  Jesus  is  dead 
and  buried !  " 

Then  they  remembered  the  story  which  the  women  had 
told. 

"  Some  women  went  to  the  tomb  early  this  morning  and 
came  back  with  an  amazing  story.  They  said  that  the  body 
of  Jesus  was  not  there,"  said  one. 

"  And  they  saw  angels  who  told  them  that  Jesus  was 
alive,"  said  the  other. 

"  Our  friends,  Peter  and  John,  heard  the  story  and  ran  to 
the  tomb,  but  they  did  not  see  Jesus.  We  do  not  know  what 
to  make  of  it,"  they  said. 

Then  the  Stranger  began  to  talk  to  them.  Such  wonder- 
ful words !  He  told  them  a  great  many  things  that  God  had 
said  in  his  Book  about  what  he  was  going  to  do  for  people — 
how  he  promised  to  send  Jesus  his  Son. 

By  and  by  they  came  to  the  little  village,  and  to  the  house 
where  they  Avere  going.  They  stopped,  but  they  wanted  to 
hear  more.    They  could  not  let  the  Stranger  go. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  247 

"  Come  in  with  us,"  they  begged.  "  The  day  is  almost 
gone.    It  is  almost  evening !  "  and  he  went  in  with  them. 

The  supper  was  made  ready.    They  came  to  the  table. 

The  Stranger  took  the  bread  and  blessed  it,  and  broke  it 
and  gave  it  to  them. 

They  looked  at  his  face!  Why,  this  was  no  stranger! 
Why  had  they  not  known  him  ?  Many  a  time  they  had  seen 
him  at  the  head  of  the  table !  Many  a  time  had  they  heard 
that  voice  as  he  blessed  the  bread !  This  was  Jesus !  Jesus 
had  risen  from  the  dead  !    The  women's  story  was  true ! 

When  Jesus  had  gone,  they  hurried  back  to  Jerusalem 
that  very  night  to  tell  the  wonderful  news  to  their  friends. 

Devotionai,  Service 
Repeat  the  Easter  Story. 

Suggested  Activities 
Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 
Mount  spring  pictures. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

JESUS  GOING  TO  PREPARE  TPIE  HEAVENLY 
HOME 

John  19:30,  41,  42;  20:1-18;  Luke  24:50,  51 

Memory  Verse 

"  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions." — John  14 :2a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

The  ascension  occurred  forty  days  after  the  day  of  resur- 
rection. On  the  day  of  the  resurrection  Jesus  appeared  five 
times  to  his  friends  at  Jerusalem  and  in  its  vicinity : 

He  appeared  to  Mary  Magdalene  early  Sunday  morning 
near  the  sepulcher.    This  is  reported  by  Mark  and  John. 

He  appeared  to  the  women,  as  told  in  the  Gospel  of 
Matthew. 


248  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

He  appeared  to  Peter. 

He  appeared  to  the  two  men  on  their  way  to  Emmaus 
Sunday  afternoon  (Luke). 

He  appeared  to  ten  of  the  disciples  Sunday  evening. 
Thomas  was  absent. 

On  the  following  Sunday  he  appeared  to  the  eleven 
disciples. 

When  Jesus  promised  that  he  would  meet  his  disciples  in 
Galilee,  they  left  Jerusalem  and  returned  to  the  place  where 
they  had  lived  so  long  with  their  blaster.  John  tells  us  how 
he  appeared  to  seven  of  them  while  they  were  fishing  in 
the  Sea. 

^Matthew  tells  how  he  appeared  to  the  Eleven  and  gave 
them  his  "  Great  Commission." 

The  last  appearance  was  upon  the  fortieth  day  after  the 
resurrection,  when  he  led  his  disciples  up  the  Mount  of 
Olives  as  far  as  Bethany,  and  there  the  ascension  took  place. 

Preparing  to  Tell  the  Story 

Let  the  children  retell  the  Easter  Story. 

Ask  the  children  to  tell  about  several  people  who  saw 
Jesus  the  first  Easter  Sunday. 

Review  the  story  of  the  spring  walk  "  when  Jesus  went 
along."     (The  walk  to  Emmaus.) 

Establish  thoroughly  the  fact  of  Jesus'  living  again. 

The  Story 

Forty  days  passed  by  after  Jesus  rose  from  the  dead.  All 
the  eleven  disciples  had  seen  him.  They  had  talked  with 
Jesus  and  he  had  eaten  with  them  just  as  he  had  done  in  the 
years  while  they  went  about  together  from  place  to  place. 

Jesus  was  really  alive,  the  same  Friend  who  loved  them ; 
the  same  Friend  whom  they  loved. 

One  day  seven  of  the  men  went  fishing,  and  Jesus  ap- 
peared and  called  them  to  the  shore. 

John  heard  and  cried,  "  It  is  the  Lord !  " 

Peter  wanted  to  see  Jesus  so  much  that  he  jumped  out  of 
the  boat  and  swam  to  the  shore. 

A  fire  was  burning:  on  the  bank,  and  upon  the  coals  some 
bread  and  fish  were  baking.    Jesus  bade  them  come  and  eat. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LKvSSONS  249 

How  like  the  old  times  it  seemed  to  those  glad  disciples ! 
Jesus  said  many  loving  words  to  them  that  day. 

But  the  time  was  coming  when  he  was  to  leave  them  and 
go  to  heaven  to  live  with  his  Father.  So  one  day  he  again 
appeared  to  them  while  they  were  all  together  on  a  mountain. 
He  left  his  *'  good-by  "  wish  with  them. 

He  said — and  these  are  his  very  words :  "  Go  ye  into  all 
the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole  creation." 
That  meant  that  he  wanted  his  disciples  to  go  on  telling  about 
him  and  giving  his  love  and  God's  love  after  he  had  left 
them  and  had  gone  back  to  heaven.  He  wanted  everyone 
in  all  the  world  to  know  about  his  love  and  the  love  of  God. 

Then  one  day,  just  forty  days  after  that  first  Easter  Sun- 
day, Jesus  appeared  to  his  followers  for  the  last  time.  He 
led  them  out  of  the  city,  up  the  Mount  of  Olives  near 
Bethany,  where  they  often  had  gone  with  him.  Then  he 
lifted  up  his  hands  and  blessed  them;  and  as  he  blessed 
them,  and  while  they  were  looking  earnestly  at  him,  he  was 
parted  from  them  and  carried  up  into  heaven.  He  went  back 
into  heaven  to  live  in  his  Father's  house,  where  he  promised 
that  all  who  love  and  believe  in  him  shall  see  him  some  day. 


Dkvotionai.  Se:rvice: 
Repeat  the  memory  work  on  the  Easter  Story. 

Suggested  Activities 

Cut  out  and  mount  spring  landscapes  to  remind  you  of  the 
bright  spring  day  that  Jesus  went  back  to  heaven. 

The  story  of  the  ascension  which  you  tell  to-day  is  nat- 
urally somewhat  shorter  and  will  take  less  time  than  the 
Easter  story ;  but  it  seems  to  me  better  not  to  supplement  it 
with  any  other  story  to-day.  Devote  the  time  over  to  a 
little  more  work  upon  the  memorizing  of  the  Easter  story. 
Then  read  the  poem  which  is  given  with  this  lesson.  The 
first  verse  at  least  may  be  repeated  line  after  line  by  the 
pupils. 

Elaborate  your  handwork  by  furnishing  a  number  of  beau- 
tiful spring  pictures.  Let  the  children  cut  these  out  and 
mount  them  carefully  so  as  to  form  a  creditable  spring  book- 


250  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

let.  This  may  be  sent  to  some  one  where  it  will  bring  an 
especially  needed  spring  message.  The  children  may  also 
include  some  of  their  carefully  written  Easter  verses. 


There's  a  Friend  eor  LitteE  Children 

There's  a  Friend  for  little  children 

Above  the  bright  blue  sky, 
A  Friend  that  never  changes, 

Whose  love  can  never  die ; 
Unlike  our  friends  by  nature, 

Who  change  w^ith  changing  years, 
This  Friend  is  always  worthy 

The  precious  name  he  bears. 

There's  a  home  for  little  children 

Above  the  bright  blue  sky, 
Where  Jesus  reigns  in  glory, 

A  home  of  peace  and  joy. 
No  home  on  earth  is  like  it, 

Nor  can  with  it  compare. 
For  everyone  is  happy, 

Nor  could  be  happier,  there. 

There's  a  crown  for  little  children 

Above  the  bright  blue  sky. 
And  all  who  look  for  Jesus 

Shall  wear  it  by  and  by, 
A  crown  of  brightest  glory, 

Which  he  will  then  bestow 
On  those  who've  found  his  favor 

And  loved  his  name  below. 

— Albert  Midland. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

THE  CITY  OF  THE  TREE  OF  LIFE 

John  14:2;  Revelation  21 :10-13,  19-21 ;  22:1-5 

Mkmory  Vi:rse^ 

*'  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions." — John  14 :2a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Try  to-day  to  make  heaven  seem  a  beautiful  and  desirable 
place  to  the  children;  a  real  home,  the  city  of  the  manv 
mansions  described  by  Jesus  to  his  disciples.  We  are  given 
a  glimpse  into  the  glories  of  that  home  in  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion. Let  us  give  this  glimpse  to  the  pupils :  a  home  of  ever- 
lasting light  and  life  and  springtime ;  a  home  where  the  tree 
of  life  bears  fruit  forever. 

A  mansion  is  being  made  ready  for  those  who  are  worthy. 
Jesus  gave  the  conditions  of  possession.  He  admonished, 
"  Lay  up  treasures  in  heaven."  He  came  to  show  the  way 
to  lay  up  those  treasures. 

At  the  close  of  the  word  picture  which  you  make  of  the 
heavenly  home,  tell  the  little  story  which  illustrates  graph- 
ically "  laying  up  treasures  in  heaven." 

Gradatim 
Heaven  is  not  reached  at  a  single  bound ; 
But  we  build  the  ladder  by  which  we  rise 
From  the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted  skies, 
And  we  mount  to  its'  summit  round  by  round. 

I  count  this  thing  to  be  grandly  true, 
That  a  noble  deed  is  a  step  toward  God — 
Lifting  the  soul  from  the  common  sod 

To  a  purer  air  and  a  broader  view. 

— J.  G.  Holland. 

The  Heavenly  Home 
"  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions."     These  are 
Jesus'  words;  you  learned  them  last  week  for  the  Memory 
Verse ;  you  are  to  say  them  again  to-day. 

The  day  he  said  these  words,  he  also  said,  "  I  go  to  pre- 

251 


252  PRIMARY  CHURCH   SCHOOl.  LESSONS 

pare  a  place  for  you.''  Our  last  story  told  how  he  went 
back  to  keep  his  word. 

Jesus  also  once  said,  **  Lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures 
in  heaven  .  .  .  where  thieves  do  not  break  through  nor 
steal." 

We  are  told  something  about  heaven  in  the  very  last  part 
of  our  Bibles.  It  is  a  place  where  no  sorrow  or  pain  ever 
comes.  It  is  a  place  of  happiness  and  light.  Round  about 
it  is  a  great,  high  wall  through  which  no  evil  can  pass.  The 
twelve  gates  are  of  wonderful  pearls.  The  foundations  of 
the  city  are  adorned  with  precious  stones;  the  streets  are  of 
pure  gold. 

The  river  of  water  of  life  flows  through  the  city,  and 
beside  the  river  grows  the  tree  of  life,  bearing  fruit  each 
month  forever  and  ever.  God  reigns  there ;  and  Jesus,  his 
Son,  is  there. 

Let  the  children  repeat  the  Memory  Verse.  Repeat  the 
thought  that  Jesus  asked  us  and  gave  us  the  opportunity  of 
"  laying  up  treasure  "  in  the  heavenly  home.  Then  tell  the 
following  story. 

Treasures  tn  Heaven 

There  was  once  a  rich  lady  who  had  almost  everything 
that  she  wanted.  She  lived  in  a  beautiful  house  with  a 
wonderful  garden  round  about  it.  She  had  servants  to  wait 
upon  her. 

She  had  every  dainty  upon  her  table,  even  fresh  fruits 
and  vegetables  from  far-away  sunny  lands,  when  snow  and 
ice  covered  her  own  garden. 

Her  gowns  were  of  silks  and  velvets ;  and  lovely  laces  and 
precious  jewels  made  her  more  beautiful. 

Every  day  and  all  the  hours  of  the  day  the  lady  spent  her 
time  enjoying  the  good  things  that  were  hers.  She  was  so 
busy  looking  after  her  own  pleasure  that  she  had  no  time  to 
see  the  poor  beggar  that  came  to  her  door.  She  did  not  know 
that  the  little,  toil-worn  laundress  who  came  to  her  hous 
each  week  was  a  widow  with  three  children  to  support.  She 
did  not  notice  the  blind  soldier  who  sat  under  the  tree  by  her 
garden  gate.  There  were  so  many  things  that  that  lady  did 
not  see ! 

Outside  amongst  the  flowers  and  the  fruits  her  old  gar- 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  253 

dener  worked.  He  was  poor,  and  lived  in  a  tiny  cottage 
down  the  road. 

But  he  never  passed  the  bhnd  soldier  without  a  gift  of 
fruit  and  a  cheery  word.  He  seldom  passed  the  door  of  the 
widow  without  a  basket  of  food  which  he  and  his  good  wife 
spared  from  their  table.  Even  the  beggar  was  remembered 
with  what  his  own  little  garden  could  spare. 

One  day  the  rich  lady  was  sitting  by  her  window  in  one 
of  her  beautiful  ivory  chairs ;  she  watched  the  gardener  as 
he  tied  up  the  roses  in  her  garden. 

Presently  she  fell  asleep  and  dreamed.  She  dreamed  she 
went  to  heaven. 

A  beautiful  mansion  was  being  built.  "For  whom  is 
that?  "  she  asked  the  guide. 

"  For  your  gardener,"  he  answered. 

"  But  he  lives  in  the  tiniest  cottage  on  earth  with  barely 
room  enough  for  his  family.  He  might  have  better  jf  he 
did  not  give  away  so  much  to  the  miserable  poor  folks." 

Farther  on  she  saw  a  tiny  cottage  being  built. 

"  For  whom  is  that  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  That  is  for  you." 

"  But  I  have  lived  in  a  mansion  on  earth.  I  would  not 
know  how  to  live  in  a  cottage." 

"  Well,"  said  the  guide  slowly,  "  the  Builder  is ^  doing  the 
best  he  can  with  the  material  that  is  being  sent  up." 

The  lady  awoke.  She  knew  what  "  material  "  was  needed. 
She  decided  to  lay  up  treasure  in  heaven. 

Devotionai,  Service 
Read  selected  verses  from  Revelation  21  :10-21 ;  22:1-4. 
Let  the  children  repeat  the  Memory  Verse. 
Prayer  by  the  teacher. 

Suggested  Activities 
Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 
Continue  work  on  your  spring  picture  scrapbook. 

SUNDAY  SESSION 
REVIEW 
Stories  and   Bible  verses  under  the  two  themes :   "  God 
Forgiving  His  Children,"  "  God  the  Giver  of  Life  on  Earth 
and  in  Heaven." 


254  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Memory  Verse 
The  ]\Iemory  Verses  under  these  two  themes. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

This  lesson  is  reserved  for  the  review  and  retelling  of 
the  stories  under  the  two  themes  mentioned  in  the  lesson 
material.  It  will  be  necessary  for  each  teacher  to  work  out 
this  review  for  her  own  particular  class. 

Thoroughly  review  the  stories  yourself  before  coming 
to  your  class  ;  have  them  at  instant  command. 

Let  the  children  do  most  of  the  talking  to-day.  Lead 
step  by  step  by  well-prepared  questions. 

Group  your  stories  under  two  heads : 

The  Coming  oe  Sin  Into  the  Wored 

God's  Forgiveness  Through  the  Coming  oe  Jesus 

Recognition   of   some   simple  sort  may  be  given   to   the 

child  or  several  children  who  tell  the  best  stories.    This  may 

be  done  by  writing  the  names  upon  the  blackboard,  or  by  the 

giving  of  a  picture  card,  or  a  little  booklet  of  stories. 

Devotionae  Service 
a  blackboard  reading  eesson 
"  Jehovah  saw  that  the  wickedness  of  man  was  great  in 
the  earth."— Genesis  6 :5a. 

"  Forgive  us  our  sins." — Luke  11 :4a. 

"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son." — John  3:16a. 

"  He  is  risen."— Matthew  28 :6. 

**  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions." — John  14 :2a. 

"  Lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in  heaven." 

—Matthew  6:20. 

Suggested  Activities 

Cut  out  paper  flowers  and  mount  them. 
Make  a  paper  booklet  for  holding  flowers.    These  may  be 
put  away  in  the  cupboard  and  kept  for  further  use. 


GOD  SPEAKING  TO  A  CHILD 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

GOD  SPEAKING  TO  A  CHIED 

I  Samuel,  chapters  1  ;  2  :18,  19,  26 ;  3 

Memory  Verse 

"  Speak,  Jehovah ;  for  thy  servant  heareth." 

—I  Samuel  3  :9b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  child  stories 
in  the  Bible,  as  well  as  in  all  secular  literature,  and  the 
teacher  should  make  it  do  a  great  deal  for  her  pupils. 

Study  the  location  of  the  two  places  mentioned  until  you 
form  a  good  mental  picture  for  yourself  of  Ramah,  the  little 
town  among  the  hills,  where  Elkanah  and  his  wife,  Hannah, 
lived,  and  where  their  baby,  Samuel,  was  born;  and  of 
Shiloh,  the  town  where  the  Israelites  had  set  up  the  taber- 
nacle within  which  the  Ark  of  God  was  guarded. 

Here  at  Shiloh,  the  high  priest,  Eli,  ministered  in  the 
house  of  God.  Eli,  now  grown  old,  was  a  good  man,  loyal 
and  true  to  God  in  those  days  when  "  the  word  of  Jehovah 
was  precious,"  and  "  there  was  no  frequent  vision."  His  one 
glaring  fault  was  his  weak  indulgence  toward  his  two  sons, 
Hophni  and  Phinehas,  whose  behavior  was  in  every  way 
outrageous  and  displeasing  to  God. 

A  turning  point  was  about  to  come  in  the  lives  of  God's 
chosen  people — it  must  come,  and  Samuel  was  to  be  the 
great  factor  in  that  change. 

In  I  Samuel  3:1  we  read  "  and  the  word  of  Jehovah  was 
precious  in  those  days  "  ;  or,  as  explained,  God's  communi- 
cations were  *' rare  "' because  of  the  failure  of  the  Israelites 
to  measure  up  in  any  degree  to  the  standard  which  had  been 
set  for  them,    "  There  was  no  frequent  vision." 

The  religious  life  of  the  nation  had  become  degraded  by 

257 


258  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

the  contact  with  heathenism;  selfishness  and  wickedness 
had  spoiled  the  ideal  life  that  should  have  been  lived  in  the 
Promised  Land ;  and  as  time  passed,  the  prospects  became 
darker  and  more  threatening. 

God  was  angry  with  his  people;  the  nation  must  be 
cleansed  and  rebuilt,  and  Samuel  was  his  chosen  instrument 
to  perform  this  great  task. 

Te:aching  Aim 

The  aim  of  the  Primary  teacher  with  this  story  should  be 
to  open  the  ears  of  her  pupils  to  the  "  voice  of  God  " ;  to 
show  how  tO'  listen,  and  how  to  recognize  ways  in  which  God 
still  speaks  to  his  children. 

The  Bible  may  be  likened  to  a  letter  from  God.  Develop 
this  idea  through  a  parallel  thought  of  the  joy  and  attentive 
interest  given  a  letter  received  from  an  absent  father  or 
mother  to  a  little  boy  or  girl. 

God  speaks  to  children  through  the  voices  of  fathers  and 
mothers.     Show  how  this  is  true  by  means  of  an  incident. 

God  speaks  through  the  voice  of  teachers  or  minister. 

God  speaks  through  the  influence  of  good  pictures  and 
books. 

God  speaks  very  intimately  by  means  of  the  still  small 
voice  of  conscience.  Innumerable  stories  may  be  selected 
to  illustrate  this  means  of  intimacy  with  God. 

The:  Story 

Little  vSamuel  was  polishing  the  golden  candlestick  and 
silver  and  brass  dishes  of  the  tabernacle.  Round  and  round 
and  back  and  forth  moved  his  hands  till  the  silver  gleamed 
like  the  soft  light  of  the  moon,  and  the  brass  looked  like 
gold. 

This  was  part  of  his  work  every  day,  and  he  did  it  well. 
There  never  was  a  speck  of  tarnish  left,  even  though  he 
knew  that  the  eyes  of  Eli  were  growing  old  and  dim,  and  he 
could  not  see  even  sO'  well  as  he  had  done  when  Samuel 
first  began  to  help  him  with  the  work. 

Eli  was  the  priest  in  the  tabernacle,  as  the  house  of  God 
was  called,  and  little  Samuel  lived  with  him.     He  had  a 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  259 

little  room  and  a  bed  and  had  lived  with  Eli  here  ever  since 
he  had  been  a  very,  very  small  boy. 

The  lamp  of  the  tabernacle  was  never  allowed  to  go  out 
at  night,  so  it  was  very  important  that  it  should  be  kept 
bright  and  clean  and  filled  with  oil. 

Samuel  also  opened  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  in  the 
morning,  and  did  ever  so  many  other  things  for  Eli,  who  was 
glad  to  have  young  hands  and  feet  and  bright  eyes  to  help 
him  when  he  did  the  work  in  God's  house.  The  good  priest 
loved  the  boy. 

When  the  time  for  the  big  holiday  came  near  Samuel 
would  jump  out  of  bed  and  put  on  his  coat  and  say  to  him- 
self: "I  shall  soon  see  my  mother  again.  The  hohday  is 
coming,  and  my  mother  will  come.  She  will  bring  me 
another  coat,  I  am  sure,"  and  he  would  look  very  happy. 

Over  in  a  little  town  among  the  hills,  Samuel's  mother, 
Hannah,  was  busily  finishing  the  coat,  and  she,  too,  counted 
the  days  as  she  worked,  and  she  would  say :  "  The  holiday 
is  coming!  I  shall  soon  see  my  Samuel  again!  I  wonder 
how  much  he  has  grown  this  year?  I  hope  the  coat  will 
fit !  " 

You  wall  wonder  why  Samuel  lived  with  Eli  in  the  taber- 
nacle at  Shiloh,  and  his  mother  and  father  lived  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Ramah  in  the  hills.  It  all  came  about  in  this  way: 
Before  Samuel  was  born,  his  mother  had  wanted  a  son  very 
much.  One  day  she  went  with  her  husband  to  the  city  where 
the  tabernacle  was,  and  while  she  was  there  she  prayed  to 
God  to  give  her  a  baby  boy.  "  O  God,"  she  whispered,  "  if 
thou  wilt  give  me  a  little  son,  he  shall  be  given  back  to  thee, 
to  work  for  thee  all  the  days  of  his  life." 

Eli,  the  priest,  saw  her  at  prayer,  and  when  she  had  told 
him  her  story,  he  said  kindly,  "  Go  in  peace ;  and  may  God 
give  thee  thy  heart's  desire."  Hannah  and  her  husband 
went  home  again  and,  after  a  time,  God  answered  the  wish 
of  Hannah's  heart.  A  little  boy  was  given  to  her,  and  she 
named  him  Samuel. 

She  did  not  forget  her  promise,  and  when  little  Samuel 
was  old  enough  to  leave  her,  she  packed  his  clothes  and 
some  gifts  and  took  him  to  the  tabernacle.  Eli  did  not 
know  her,  her  face  was  so  happy. 

"  Do  you  not  remember  me  ?  "  she  said.     "  I  am  the  sad 


260  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

woman  who  prayed  for  a  baby  boy.  God  answered  my 
prayer.  Here  is  my  little  child,  Samuel.  I  promised  to  give 
him  to  God,  and  I  have  brought  him  to  God's  house.  As 
long  as  he  lives,  he  belongs  to  God*"  And  then  the  mother 
kissed  her  little  Samuel  and  went  away. 

Every  day  she  thought  of  her  child  and  every  day  she 
wondered  what  he  was  doing.  *'  I  shall  see  him  when  the 
holiday  comes,"  she  would  say  to  herself,  *'  I  shall  take  him 
something.  I  will  make  him  a  coat.  Yes,  every  year  I  will 
make  him  a  little  coat." 

This  she  did,  year  after  year;  and  Samuel  was  so  glad 
when  the  time  drew  near  for  his  mother  to  come. 

"  Thy  Samuel  has  been  eyes  for  me,"  the  good  old  priest 
would  tell  the  mother  when  she  came.  "  He  has  been  feet 
for  me,  and  always  the  door  of  the  house  is  opened  in  the 
morning.  The  lamp  is  bright.  His  lessons  are  well  learned. 
God  loves  your  boy ;  and  I  love  him." 

One  night,  as  Samuel  lay  asleep  in  his  little  bed,  and  Eli 
was  sleeping  in  his  own  room  near  by,  the  little  boy  was 
suddenly  wakened  by  a  voice  which  called  him. 

"  Samuel !  "  called  the  voice. 

"  Here  am  I,"  answered  the  little  boy.  He  was  sleepy, 
and  he  thought  it  was  Eli  who  called.  He  ran  to  Eli's  room, 
and  said,  "  Here  am  I ;  for  thou  calledst  me." 

"  No,  Samuel,  I  did  not  call.  Go  lie  down  again,"  said 
Eli.    And  Samuel  went  back  to  bed. 

Soon  after,  the  voice  called  again,  "  Samuel !  "  and  Samuel 
went  again  to  Eli.  "  Here  am  I,"  he  said ;  "  for  thou 
calledst  me." 

"  I  called  not,  my  boy ;  lie  down  again,"  replied  Eli. 

It  was  God  who  had  called,  but  Samuel  did  not  know  it ; 
and  when  he  went  back  to  bed,  the  voice  called  for  the  third 
time,  and  for  the  third  time  he  went  to  EH,  saying,  "  Here 
am  I ;  for  thou  calledst  me." 

Then  Eli  knew  that  it  was  God  who  had  been  calling 
little  Samuel.  "  Go,  lie  down,  my  child,"  he  said.  "  It  is 
God  who  is  calling  thee.  H  he  calls  again,  say,  'Speak, 
Jehovah ;  for  thy  servant  heareth.' "  And  Samuel  went 
back  to  his  bed  again. 

God's  voice  did  call  again,  and  Samuel  answered,  "  Speak  ; 
for  thy  servant  heareth." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  261 

Then  God's  voice  said  that  he  was  to  bring  many  changes 
to  his  people.  He  told  how  grieved  he  was  at  the  wicked 
way  in  which  many  of  the  people,  even  Eli's  own  sons,  were 
living.  He  made  it  very  clear  that  he  had  a  great  work  for 
the  little  boy  to  do  for  him  when  he  should  become  a  man. 

Samuel  went  back  to  bed  until  the  morning,  when  it  was 
time  to  open  the  doors  and  do  his  work  round  the  tabernacle. 
When  Eli  asked  him  to  tell  God's  message,  he  told  every  bit 
of  it. 

Day  after  day  the  little  boy  went  on  with  his  duties, 
learning  his  lessons  and  helping  in  the  tabernacle,  growing 
more  and  more  fit  for  the  greater  work  that  God  had  for 
him  to  do  after  a  while. 


Di:voTioNAi,  Service: 

Read  the  words  of  the  hymn,  *'  Hushed  Was  the  Evening 
Hymn,"  found  in  "The  Hymnal."  Song,  "Softly,  Softly 
Christ  Is  Calling,"  found  in  "The  Primary  and  Junior 
Hymnal." 


PRAYKR  VKRSE) 

Oh  give  me  Samuel's  ear, 

The  open  ear,  O  Lord, 
Alive  and  quick  to  hear. 

Each  whisper  of  thy  word, 
Like  him  to  answer  at  thy  call, 
And  to  obey  thee  first  of  all. 

— Jamks  Drummond  Burns. 

Suggested  Activities 

Write  down  all  the  ways  that  you  can  remember  in  which 
God  speaks  to  you. 

Copy  this  message  that  God  has  spoken  to  you :  "  Come 
unto  me." 

Mount  small-sized  Perry  pictures  of  the  child  Samuel, 
and  copy  the  Memory  Verse  beneath. 


262  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

"  HE  CALLETH  ...  BY  NAME  " 

Acts  8:3;  9:1-22 

Memory  Vkrse 

"  Unto  his  voice  will  we  hearken." — Joshua  24 :24c. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

More  than  a ,  thousand  years  elapsed  between  the  time 
when  God's  call  came  to  the  boy  Samuel,  and  he  answered, 
"  Speak,  Lord,"  and  the  time  when  the  voice  called  to  Saul 
who  was  on  his  way  to  Damascus  "  breathing  threatening 
and  slaughter  " — the  voice  which  called,  "  Saul,  Saul !  " 
Remember  that  the  first  object  of  the  Primary  teacher  is 
not  to  teach  history,  nor  to  give  these  stories  in  historical 
sequence.  It  is  our  purpose  to  bring  together  groups  of 
stories  which  throw  light  upon  certain  themes  chosen  to 
show  the  children  their  relation  to  God  their  heavenly  Father. 

Tarsus,  the  chief  city  of  Cilicia  in  Asia  Minor,  was  the 
birthplace  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  or,  as  he  was  known  at  the 
time  of  his  conversion  and  for  some  time  afterwards,  Saul. 
The  city  was  a  center  of  culture  and  its  schools  were  cele- 
brated. Saul's  family  were  Hebrews  of  the  line  of  Benja- 
min, and  it  is  not  known  certainly  how  they  came  to  be 
living  in  the  city  of  Tarsus.  They  seem  to  have  been  people 
of  means,  and  possibly  they  may  have  settled  there  for  com- 
mercial reasons. 

The  boy  was  sent  to  Jerusalem  to  be  educated,  and  he  was 
taught  by  the  famous  teacher,  Gamaliel.  He  was  brought 
up  strictly  in  the  Jewish  faith.     His  father  was  a  Pharisee. 

He  was  a  free-born  Roman  citizen,  though  how  this  came 
about  is  not  known.  The  magic  words,  "  I  am  a  Roman 
citizen,"  which  he  was  able  to  use  more  than  once,  acted  as- 
a  check  upon  those  who  would  have  taken  his  life  in  time 
of  crisis. 

Like  all  Hebrew  boys,  he  learned  a  trade  to  serve  him 
in  case  of  need ;  his  trade  was  the  making  of  tents. 

His  nature  was  intense  and  his  sympathies  were  with  the 
inherited  traditions  of  his  ancestors.     Such  was  the  young 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  263 

man  to  whom  the  voice  called  "  Saul,  Saul !  "  that  noonday 
as  he  traveled  over  the  hot,  sandy  road  toward  the  old  city 
of  Damascus,  full  of  a  misdirected  zeal,  against  the  disciples 
of  the  Lord. 

You  will  need  to  picture  lo  yourself  the  condition  of 
Christianity  at  this  time :  Jesus  had  ascended  to  heaven. 
The  members  of  his  little  band  of  followers  were  passing 
through  a  period  of  readjustment  to  their  changed  circum- 
stances— a  little  flock  of  people  without  an  earthly  leader, 
hated  and  hunted  and  open  tO'  imprisonment,  torture,  and 
even  death  because  of  their  unpopular  belief. 

The  home  Church  was  at  Jerusalem,  but  was  beginning 
to  expand  both  because  of  obedience  to  the  Master's  com- 
mand, "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel," 
and  also  so  that  its  members  might  find  places  of  safety 
where  they  would  be  allowed  to  live  in  peace  and  still  re- 
main followers  of  Jesus.  A  group  of  these  early  Christians 
were  at  this  time  in  Damascus,  the  magnificent  old  city  of 
ancient  times.  Such  in  a  nutshell  was  the  condition  of  the 
times. 

Thi:  Story 

The  sun  was  just  overhead,  and  its  rays  were  beating 
down  hot,  oh,  so  hot  on  the  sandy  road.  Some  men  were 
riding  along  on  horseback;  they  were  going  to  the  city  of 
Damascus,  and  they  were  almost  there. 

The  horses  were  hot  and  foaming  about  the  mouth ;  they 
could  not  travel  very  fast.  It  would  have  been  kind  to  let 
them  rest,  but  the  leader  was  not  thinking  about  his  horse. 
He  was  thinking  about  a  letter  that  he  carried  in  his  belt, 
and  what  that  letter  said  he  might  do  when  he  reached 
Damascus. 

It  was  a  cruel  letter,  and  the  leader,  Saul,  was  going  to 
do  a  cruel,  bad  thing.  Ever  so  often  he  would  turn  to  the 
other  men  who  were  with  him  and  threaten  what  he  in- 
tended to  do.  He  would  hunt  those  people  down  when  he 
reached  Damascus !  He  would  chain  them !  And  he  urged 
his  horse  on,  glad  when  each  mile  brought  him  nearer  to 
the  city. 

But  the  people  whom  Saul  was  intending  to  torment  were 


264  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

not  bad  people.  No,  indeed,  they  were  a  little  band  of 
Christians  who  had  gone  to  Damascus  to  live.  It  was  not 
safe  to  live  in  Jerusalem.  It  was  not  very  long  after  Jesus 
had  gone  back  to  heaven  to  live.  These  people  loved  Jesus 
and  were  true  to  him.  They  were  going  to  love  him  and 
praise  him  all  their  lives  even  though  people  hated  them 
for  doing  it.  They  had  left  Jerusalem  and  had  gone  to 
Damascus  because  they  hoped  to  be  safe  there. 

Saul  did  not  love  Jesus ;  he  did  not  believe  in  him.  He 
hated  the  Christians.  He  went  tO'  some  of  the  head  men 
and  got  a  letter  giving  him  the  right  to  go  to  Damascus  and 
trouble  and  persecute  these  people.  And  so  he  was  on 
his  way. 

By  and  by  he  drew  quite  near  the  city ;  he  could  see  the 
walls.  It  was  a  beautiful  city.  Two  rivers  flowed  through 
it  and  made  it  one  of  the  loveliest  places  on  the  earth. 

Suddenly  a  bright,  sharp  light  darted  out  from  heaven. 
It  struck  Saul  and  he  fell  to  the  earth. 

A  voice  called  to  him.  It  called  him  by  name.  "  Saul, 
Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ?  " 

Saul  answered  the  voice.  He  said,  "  Who  art  thou. 
Lord?" 

The  voice  answered,  "  I  am  Jesus  whom  thou  perse- 
cutest: but  rise,  and  enter  into  the  city,  and  it  shall  be  told 
thee  what  thou  must  do." 

The  stunned  and  frightened  men  that  were  with  Saul 
were  speechless ;  they  heard  the  voice,  but  saw  no  one. 

Saul  rose  from  the  earth,  but  he  found  that  he  was 
blind,  quite  blind.  The  men  led  him  by  the  hand  into  the 
city.  There  he  remained  without  sight  for  three  days, 
neither  wishing  to  eat  nor  tO'  drink.  But  Saul  thought :  oh, 
how  many  things  he  had  to  think  about !  How  many  times 
he  thought  of  that  voice — the  voice  of  the  Lord. 

There  was  a  good  Christian  man  living  in  Damascus 
whose  name  was  Ananias ;  God  called  him  by  name  in  a 
vision :  "  Ananias,  arise,  and  go  to  the  street  called  Straight, 
to  the  house  of  Judas,  and  ask  for  a  man  named  Saul  of 
Tarsus.  Behold,  he  prayeth ;  he  hath  dreamed  that  thou 
hast  come  and  laid  thy  hands  on  him  to  give  him  back  his 
sight." 

Ananias    was   afraid,    for   he   had   heard    of    v^aul.      He 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  265 

thought  that  he  was  a  very  bad  man.  He  said,  "  Lord,  I 
have  heard  about  this  man,  and  what  he  did  to  thy  people 
at  Jerusalem/'  But  God  still  told  him  to  go,  and  he  obeyed. 
Ananias  found  Saul  and  laid  his  hands  upon  him,  saying, 
"  Brother  Saul,  Jesus,  who  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way, 
hath  sent  me  that  thou  rriayest  receive  thy  sight,  that  thou 
mayest  believe  in  him  and  become  his  follower." 

Immediately  the  scales  fell  from  Saul's  eyes,  and  he  re- 
ceived his  sight.  He  arose  and  was  baptized.  Then  he  ate 
some  food  and  was  strengthened.  And  Saul  never  did 
what  he  had  come  to  the  city  to  do ;  from  that  time  he  gave 
his  heart  and  his  life  to  Jesus.  He  spent  his  whole  life  in 
work  for  Jesus. 

De:votionai,  Se;rvice: 

Talk  over  again  the  different  ways  in  which  God  speaks 
to  his  children.  (See  preceding  lesson.)  Tell  the  children 
that  from  the  day  that  the  Lord  called  Saul  by  name,  he 
began  to  tell  God's  messages  to  people.  Tell  that  after  a 
while  he  was  called  "  Paul  "  instead  of  "  Saul  " ;  that  he 
wrote  a  great  many  letters  containing  God's  messages.  Tell 
that  one  of  his  most  beautiful  letters  was  to  a  young  man 
named  Timothy.  Explain  that  that  was  the  way  in  which 
God  spoke  to  Timothy.  Then  read  these  very  short  ex- 
tracts from  H  Timothy. 

'*  Paul,  an  apostle  of  Christ  Jesus  through  the  will  of 
God,  ...  to  Timothy,  my  beloved  child." 

First  he  writes  that  he  thinks  of  Timothy  day  and  night, 
and  prays  for  him.  He  is  rejoiced  that  Timothy  has  the 
same  love  for  God  and  for  Jesus  his  Son  that  his  grand- 
mother, Lois,  and  his  mother,  Eunice,  have.  He  tells  him 
to  be  brave  to  stand  up  for  Jesus ;  he  asks  him  to  remem- 
ber him  even  though  now  he  is' in  prison  for  Jesus'  sake. 
He  tells  Timothy  that  he  is  not  ashamed  of  being  a  prisoner 
for  Jesus'  sake. 

"  Abide  thou  in  the  things  which  thou  hast  learned  .  .  . 
knowing  of  whom  thou  hast  learned  them ;  and  that  from  a 
babe  thou  hast  known  the  sacred  writings  which  are  able 
to  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation.  .  .  .  Come,  shortly  unto 
me.  .  .  .  The  Lord  be  with  thy  spirit.    Grace  be  with  you." 


266  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

praye:r 

Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  keep  a  listening  ear  when 
thou  callest  us.  Help  us  to  obey  what  thy  voice  asks  us 
to  do.     Amen. 

SuGGKSTKD  Activities 

Give  the  pupils  narrow  strips  of  paper  of  as  good  a 
quality  as  you  can  reasonably  secure,  shaped  conveniently 
for  bookmarks.  Get  a  box  of  Dennison's  gummed  seals  of 
some  attractive  design.  Let  the  children  copy  the  Memory 
Verse  and  decorate  the  bookmarks.  Send  these  where  they 
will  bring  most  satisfaction  both  to  receivers  and  givers. 

Teach  the  following  hymn. 


Bless  tbe  Xorb,  Q  /ID^  Soul 


i;r-5- 


^ 


Bless    the  Lord, 
— I*-- — •^ 

— I a^  — 


soul. 


And 


all 


that    is      with  - 


:|?^S==2^zx 


^Si=-^ 


7 ^*— =Jv 


/    Coda  for  last  verse. 


3t 


^ :;*:— -^ 


in      me   bless  his      ho   -   ly      name.    Bless  the  Lord,      O      my 


;oul. 


1 


m 


? 


5^;s 


From  "The  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal."     Used  by  permission. 


II 


SPEAKING  TO  GOD  IN  PRAYER 


CHAPTER  XXX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

EZRA'S  PRAYER  FOR  HELP  ON  A  JOURNEY 

Ezra,  chapters  7;  8:15a,  21-34 

Mi^MORY  Verse: 

"  Jehovah  is  nigh  unto  all  them  that  call  upon  him." 
—Psalm  145:18a. 

Thk  Teacher's  Preparation 

We  read  this  prophecy  in  Jeremiah,  chapter  25 : 

"  The  word  that  came  to  Jeremiah  concerning  all  the 
people  of  Judah,  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  the  son  of 
Josiah,  king  of  Judah,  (the  same  was  the  first  year  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Babylon,)  .  .  .  And  this  whole  land 
shall  be  a  desolation,  and  an  astonishment ;  and  these  nations 
shall  serve  the  king  of  Babylon  seventy  years. 

"  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  seventy  years  are  ac- 
complished, that  I  will  punish  the  king  of  Babylon,  and 
that  nation,  saith  Jehovah,  for  their  iniquity,  and  the  land 
of  the  Chaldeans ;  and  I  will  make  it  desolate  for  ever." 

These  words  had  fallen  upon  the  ears  of  the  Jewish 
people,  and  also  other  warnings ;  but  they  had  continued  in 
their  everyday  existence — days  of  ordinary  occupation,  and 
evil  living.  They  had  not  obeyed  God,  and  they  had  treated 
every  warning  with  triviality  and  neglect.  The  fulfillment 
of  the  prophecy  came  during  the  reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
Great  and  unbelievable  changes  can  be  effected  through  the 
pitiless  attacks  of  war  such  as  Nebuchadnezzar  made,  and 
his  first  coming  resulted  in  the  captivity  of  some  of  the 
royal  of  the  land.  H  Chronicles  36  :2-7.  A  few  years  later 
he  carried  off  Jehoiachin  and  the  king's  mother,  and  princes 
and  artisans  and  men  of  valor  to  the  number  of  ter»  thou- 

269 


270  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

sand.  The  city  was  destroyed  in  587  b.  C  ;  the  Temple 
burned,  and  all  the  remainder  of  the  people,  except  the 
poorest  of  them,  were  carried  away  to  Babylon.  The 
stories  of  the  horrors  of  those  days  of  the  siege,  which 
lasted  a  year  and  a  half,  when  battering-rams  were  jammed 
against  the  walls,  when  palaces  were  set  on  fire  by  the  fire- 
brands fastened  to  the  missiles  which  were  hurled  over 
upon  them,  when  the  food  began  to  give  out,  were  tales 
often  told  to  the  children  and  the  children's  children  dur- 
ing the  years  spent  in  the  city  of  the  Captivity. 

Babylon  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  cities  of  all 
times,  and  Nebuchadnezzar  was  the  king  vho  did  much 
to  make  it  what  it  was.  It  is  estimated  that  the  area  en- 
closed by  its  walls  was  at  least  ten  miles  square.  The  wall, 
constructed  of  immense  bricks  of  sun-dried  earth,  was  said 
to  be  so  wide  at  the  top  that  it  formed  a  roadway,  and  four- 
horse  chariots  could  pass  each  other  upon  it.  One  hundred 
strong  gates  led  to  the  city,  and  imposing  towers  were  built 
at  various  points. 

The  king's  palace  was  a  place  of  the  greatest  magnifi- 
cence, ornamented  with  colored  bricks  and  mural  decora- 
tions. The  houses  of  the  wealthy  citizens,  too,  were  hand- 
some and  luxurious,  and  sometimes  several  stories  high. 

The  condition  of  the  captives  in  Babylon  was  somewhat 
peculiar.  They  were  not  subject  to  cruel  treatment ;  they 
were  allowed  a  large  degree  of  freedom ;  they  could  accu- 
mulate wealth  and  acquire  social  position.  For  example, 
take  Daniel,  who  became  so  indispensable  to  his  king. 
However,  their  hearts  were  with  their  homeland.  When 
Cyrus,  the  Persian,  who  had  gained  the  throne  through 
conquest,  favored  the  Jews  to  such  an  extent  that  he  made  an 
edict  giving  the  captives  the  right  to  return,  their  joy  was 
supreme. 

Several  short  reigns  of  Babylonian  kings  succeeded  the 
reign  of  the  great  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  then  the  empire 
fell  to  the  conquering  Persians.  The  new  dynasty  was 
more  favorable  to  the  Jews  than  the  kings  who  had  fol- 
lowed Nebuchadnezzar.  The  return  to  Jerusalem  of  Ezra 
and  his  company  occurred  during  the  reign  of  Artaxerxes  I. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  271 

The:  Story 

When  Ezra  was  a  little  boy  his  mother  had  told  him  the 
story  of  how  the  Hebrew  people  became  captives.  He  was 
a  little  captive  boy  and  so  were  hundreds  and  hundreds  of 
other  Hebrew  boys  and  girls  growing  up  in  the  wonderful 
city  of  Babylon. 

She  would  tell  the  story  in  words  something  like  this ; 
and  his  eyes  would  grow  big  and  round  every  time  she 
told  it: 

"The  great  king  came  with  his  thousands  of  soldiers, 
my  child.  The  watchmen  on  the  walls  of  our  beautiful  city 
saw  them.  They  sent  the  news  to  our  king.  *  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, king  of  Babylon,  is  coming!'  The  news  spread  from 
house  to  house ! 

"Our  soldiers  closed  the  gates  of  our  beautiful  city; 
they  locked  and  guarded  them. 

"  Nebuchadnezzar's  soldiers  came  closer  and  closer  to 
the  walls ;  they  set  up  their  forts  and  tents.  No  one  of  us 
dared  go  in  or  go  out. 

"  I  can  never  forget  the  noise  in  the  city  during  those 
terrible  days.  The  soldiers  built  great  battering-rams  and 
swung  them  against  the  walls.  We  thought  our  walls  were 
strong;  and  they  were  strong;  but  the  stones  began  to 
fall  out. 

"  Sometimes  the  soldiers  would  fire  a  dart  over  the 
wall.  The  cruel  men  had  fastened  firebrands  to  them,  and 
the  housetops  would  burn  wherever  they  fell. 

"  By  and  by  our  food  began  to  grow  low.  No  one  dared 
go  out  of  the  gates  to  get  more.  Still  those  soldiers  re- 
mained week  after  week;  month  after  month.  At  last  a 
horrible  year  was  past.  Then  six  more  months  passed. 
Our  people  were  gaunt  and  thin  and  starving.  They  could 
fight  no  longer. 

"  Your  grandfather,  Seraiah,  was  high  priest  in  the 
Temple  in  those  days.  Oh,  if  our  people  had  been  obedient 
to  God,  that  time  of  suffering  would  not  have  come !  " 

Ezra's  eyes  grew  round  with  horror  when  his  mother 
told  about  the  last  day  of  the  siege : 

"  They  made  a  hole  in  the  wall.  They  made  a  hole  big 
enough  to  get  through ! 


272  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  Our  soldiers  ran  away  in  the  night  through  the  king's 
garden.  The  king  ran,  but  Nebuchadnezzar's  soldiers 
caught  him ;  they  chained  him  and  carried  him  away. 

"  The  wicked  soldiers  burned  God's  house ;  they  burned 
the  palace  of  the  king;  they  destroyed  other  houses.  Our 
house  was  spoiled. 

*'  The  soldiers  caught  many  of  our  people  and  chained 
them ;  they  brought  our  people  to  this  land. 

"  They  broke  the  beautiful  Temple  pillars.  They  stole 
the  gold  and  silver  and  brass  dishes. 

'*  They  found  your  grandfather  and  some  of  the  other 
helpers  in  God's  house.  They  carried  them  away  and 
killed  them  !     They  killed  your  grandfather !  " 

Mother  would  stop  her  story  to  think,  and  Ezra  would 
say,  "  I  wish  that  I  could  see  Jerusalem,  my  mother." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  some  day,  my  son." 

In  some  such  way  that  little  Ezra  learned  the  story  of 
his  poor  people.  It  is  no  wonder  that  he  wanted  to  see 
Jerusalem. 

One  day,  after  he  had  grown  to  be  a  man,  a  new  king 
ruled  over  Babylon.  This  king  was  willing  to  let  the  Jews 
go  home. 

Ezra  was  now  a  priest.  The  king  gave  him  a  letter  giv- 
ing him  permission  to  go.  In  the  letter  the  king  said,  also, 
that  he  would  give  Ezra  a  great  gift  of  gold  and  silver  and 
money,  and  also  provisions  to  carry  with  him  along  the 
way,  for  it  would  be  a  long,  long  journey,  and  some  of  it 
lay  through  the  desert.  The  letter  was  very  kind,  and  it 
told  Ezra  to  spend  the  money  in  the  best  and  wisest  way 
when  he  should  reach  Jerusalem  and  come  to  the  house  of 
God.  He  was  also  to  buy  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats.  But 
especially  he  was  to  make  beautiful  the  Temple,  God's 
house.  The  letter  also  told  all  the  people  to  give  gifts 
to  Ezra. 

How  gladly  Ezra  made  ready  for  the  journey !  He  went 
from  family  to  family  and  asked  those  who  wished,  to  see 
Jerusalem  to  come  with  him.  A  great  many  wished  to  go, 
and  soon  a  large  company  was  ready. 

Then  Ezra  began  to  think  about  the  gold  and  the  silver 
and  the  precious  gifts  and — the  robbers  along  the  way! 
What  should  he  do  ?    Would  they  lose  the  gifts  the  kind  king 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  273 

had  given  them?     Would  they  even  lose  their  lives  when 
robbers  attacked  them  from  behind  rocks  and  out  of  caves? 

"  T  am  ashamed  to  ask  the  king  for  a  soldier  guard  to  go 
with  us,"  said  Ezra,  *'  because  I  have  told  him  that  our 
God  is  strong  and  powerful  to  take  care  of  us." 

He  gathered  all  the  people  together  and  told  them  about 
it.  Then  he  prayed  to  God.  Oh,  what  a  prayer  for  help 
he  made !  He  asked  God  to  keep  them  from  danger !  He 
asked  God  to  take  care  of  them,  and  keep  their  little  chil- 
dren from  the  robbers  and  all  the  perils  along  the  journey. 
He  asked  for  help  in  protecting  the  gift  that  the  king  had 
given  them,  the  money  and  precious  things  that  were  to 
be  used  to  build  up  the  broken  Temple  in  Jerusalem. 

Then  Ezra  chose  a  band  of  brave  and  trusty  men.  He 
weighed  all  the  gold  and  the  silver  and  the  money  and  all 
the  valuable  things.  He  gave  these  things  into  their  keep- 
ing. "  Guard  these  treasures  with  your  lives,"  he  said. 
"  Watch  them.  Let  nothing  happen  to  them  on  the  way. 
Bring  them  safely  to  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem." 

Then  they  all  started  on  their  journey.  It  was  a  long, 
long  procession.  But  God  went  with  them.  They  were 
kept  safely  throughout  all  the  journey.  Not  .a  robber 
dared  steal  from  them,  nor  hurt  them. 

After  a  wdiile  they  came  to  the  city  that  they  had  longed 
to  see.  Ezra  was  glad  to  go  for  the  first  time  into  the 
Temple. 

Four  days  after  they  reached  the  city,  he  weighed  the 
gold  and  silver  and  the  money.  Everything  was  safe.  Not 
a  piece  was  missing. 

God,  indeed,  had  answered  Ezra's  prayer.  He  had  gone 
with  them,  had  protected  their  lives,  and  had  helped  them 
to  bring  the  king's  gift  in  perfect  safety. 

SUGGKSTTONS   I<OR  TllK   Dl^VOTlONAI,   SKRVICEJ 

r?:ading  IvKsson  From  the:  bIvACkboard 
(Exj^lain  difficult  words.) 
"  Hear  my  cry,  O  God ; 
Attend  unto  my  prayer. 

From  the  end  of  the  earth  will  I  call  unto  thee,  when  my 
heart  is  overwhelmed." — Psalm  61  :1,  2. 


274  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  I  will  cry  untO'  God  with  my  voice, 
Even  unto  God  with  my  voice ;  and  he  will  give  ear  unto 
me." — Psalm  77:1. 

praye:r 
The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Sugge:stkd  Activity 
Copy  this  prayer  and  take  it  home  to  learn : 

"  Help  us  to  do  the  things  we  should, 
To  be  to  others  kind  and  good; 
In  all  we  do  in  work  or  play 
To  grow  more  loving  every  day." 
Amen. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

AT  THE  HOUSE  OF  MARY 
Acts  12:1,  3-17 
Memory  VkrsE 

"  Jehovah  is  nigh  unto  all  them  that  call  upon  him." 

—Psalm  145:18a. 

TiiK  Tkacher's  Preparation 

Tell  to-day  another  story  which  shows  clearly  the  Lord's 
nearness  to  his  people  when  they  speak  to  him  in  prayer. 
Tell  it  so  as  to  put  confidence  and  trust  into  the  hearts  of 
your  pupils.  Try  to  make  it  a  stepping-stone  toward  a 
habit  of  speaking  in  prayer  to  God  at  times  of  special 
trouble  or  crisis,  as  well  as  at  all  times. 

Lesson  Setting:  It  was  April,  a.  d.  44.  Herod  Agrippa 
I,  grandson  of  Herod  the  Great,  was  king.  He  desired  to 
gain  favor  with  the  Jews.  One  of  his  chief  means  of  doing 
this  was  to  torment  and  persecute  the  Christians  whom  the 
Jews  hated.  He  had  killed  the  disciple  James  in  March  of 
this  same  year. 

The  house  of  Mary  was  a  meeting  place  for  these  early 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  275 

Christian   friends.     Peter  was  one  of  the  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  Httle  group. 

After  the  murder  of  James,  Herod  imprisoned  Peter. 
His  intention  was  to  give  him  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies 
after  the  passover. 

Thi5  Story 

It  was  Rhoda's  work  to  open  the  door  at  Mary's  house. 
This  door,  or  gate,  led  out  into  the  street  and  was  always 
kept  locked. 

^  Mary's  home  was  a  nice,  big,  comfortable  house  in  the 
city  of  Jerusalem.  Her  son,  Mark,  lived  with  her ;  and  very 
often  their  friends  came  to  see  them  in  this  pleasant  place. 

When  their  friends  were  gathered  together  and  all  were 
talking.  Mary  told  Rhoda  to  be  very  watchful  of  the  door. 
She  told  her  to  ask  who  was  there  before  opening  for  any- 
one else. 

There  was  very  good  reason  for  this :  Mary  and  her  son 
Mark  and  their  friends  and  even  the  young  girl  Rhoda  were 
Christians. 

It  was  only  a  few  years  after  Jesus  had  gone  to  heaven. 
Peter  and  Jesus'  other  disciples  had  been  telling  about  him 
ever  since.  Peter  was  one  of  the  friends  who  often  went 
to  Mary's  house,  and  he  told  them  very,  very  many  stories 
about  his  life  with  Jesus. 

But  Herod,  the  king,  hated  this  little  band  of  Christian 
friends.  The  Jews  also  hated  them.  King  Herod  wanted 
to  please  the  Jews,  so  he  bothered  and  tormented  and  threat- 
ened these  Christian  friends  who  gathered  together. 

Their  lives  were  not  safe.  It  was  no  wonder  that  Rhoda 
watched  the  door  so  carefully. 

One  April  day  l)ad  news  came  to  the  friends  at  Mary's 
house.  I  do  not  know  who  brought  it ;  perhaps  it  was  her 
son,  Mark,  perhaps  some  one  else.  But  the  messenger  said : 
"  Our  friend  Peter  has  been  put  into  prison !  King  Herod 
has  taken  him  prisoner." 

That  made  everyone  in  Mary's  house  very  sad.  They 
knew  what  the  king  did  to  his  prisoners.  They  could  im- 
agine just  what  was  happening  to  Peter.  He  was  chained. 
His  right  arm  was  fastened  by  a  chain  to  an  arm  of  a  big, 


276  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

strong  Roman  soldier.  His  left  arm  was  chained  to  another 
soldier.  A  strong  Roman  soldier  with  a  spear  guarded  the 
door  which  was  locked.  Just  outside  that  locked  door  was 
another  soldier  with  a  spear. 

No  wonder  the  friends  grieved  over  the  news.  They  all 
loved  their  friend. 

**  Peter  is  growing  older,"  some  one  said.  "  He  is  not 
strong  enough  to  stand  the  cold  cell  and  the  cruel  life." 

"  Peter  is  needed  to  tell  the  story  of  Jesus ;  we  cannot 
spare  him,"  said  another. 

"  We  can  dp  nothing,"  said  another.  "  Herod's  prison  is 
the  strongest  place  on  earth.    We  can  do  nothing." 

"  Yes,  we  can  do  something,"  said  still  another.  "  We 
can  speak  to  God  about  all  this  trouble.  We  can  do'  nothing 
alone.    But  we  can  pray  for  Peter." 

Then  those  friends  began  to  pray.  Never  had  they  prayed 
more  earnestly ;  they  prayed  all  the  time.  They  told  God  all 
about  it;  they  told  him  how  much  they  loved  their  friend, 
how  much  they  needed  him ;  how  they  wanted  him  to  tell 
the  story  of  Jesus.  They  asked  if  it  were  God's  will,  to 
spare  Peter's  life.    They  begged  God  to  take  care  of  him. 

Now,  up  in  his  palace,  while  the  friends  were  praying 
at  Mary's  house,  King  Herod  was  making  his  plans.  "  I 
want  to  please  the  Jews,"  he  thought  to  himself.  "  I  shall 
have  an  easier  time  if  I  please  them.  I'm  glad  I  put  that 
man  Peter  in  prison.  He  cannot  get  away.  He  got  away 
once,  but  not  again !  Aha !  The  locks  on  the  iron  gates  and 
my  four  soldiers  will  see  to  that!  The  man  is  fast  this 
time !  After  the  holiday  I  shall  bring  him  out  and  give  him 
to  the  Jews." 

The  friends  at  Mary's  house  prayed  on  into  the  night. 
Presently,  while  they  were  still  gathered  together,  there  was 
a  knock  at  the  door.    Little  Rhoda  was  ready  to  answer. 

"Who  is  there?"  she  asked,  and  her  heart  must  have 
beaten  fast  as  she  waited  for  an  answer. 

"  It  is  Peter  !    Open  !  " 

Peter !  Rhoda  knew  the  voice.  She  had  heard  it  so  often. 
Peter ! 

She  was  so  surprised  and  frightened  and  glad  that  she  lost 
her  head  completely.  She  did  not  open  the  door,  but  ran 
back  to  the  friends  who  still  were  praying. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  277 

"  Peter  has  come !  Oh,  Peter  has  come !  "  she  panted 
"  He  is  at  the  door  !  " 

**  You're  crazy,  Rhoda,"  said  some  one. 

*'  No,  no !    He  is  here !    He  is  at  the  door  !  " 

Peter  kept  on  knocking.  The  friends  heard  at  last,  and 
ran  to  open. 

It  was  true.  There  stood  Peter !  Rhoda  had  made  no 
mistake.  They  began  talking  all  together  and  asking 
questions. 

Peter  raised  his  hands  and  bade  them  to  be  quiet  and 
listen  while  he  told  them  how  it  all  had  happened. 

"  I  was  asleep  between  the  two  soldiers,''  he  said,  "  one 
soldier  was  chained  to  my  right  arm ;  one  to  my  left.  One 
guard  was  standing  inside  the  door ;  another  outside.  The 
iron  gate  was  locked. 

"  Presently  an  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  beside  me ;  he 
shook  me,  and  I  awoke.    There  was  a  light  shining  in  the  cell. 

"  The  angel  said  to  me,  *  Rise  up  quickly.'  My  chains 
fell  off.    The  soldiers  were  dazed,  and  did  nothing. 

"  '  Put  on  your  girdle,  and  fasten  on  your  sandals,'  the 
angel  told  me,  and  I  did. 

"  '  Put  on  your  coat,  and  follow  me.'  I  obeyed.  I  thought 
I  was  dreaming. 

"  We  went  past  the  first  and  second  guard.  We  came  to 
the  iron  gate  which  leads  into  the  city.  It  opened  itself.  We 
went  out  and  passed  through  one  street.  Then  the  angel 
left  me. 

"  Now  I  know  that  all  this  is  God's  doing.  He  sent  his 
angel  to  save  me  from  prison  and  from  King  Herod  and  the 
Jews." 

Then  the  friends  told  him  how  they  had  been  speaking  to 
God  in  prayer  all  the  time  these  wonderful  things  were 
taking  place. 

Devotionai,  Skrvici: 

Devote  a  few  minutes  to  discussion  about  the  times  of 
speaking  to  God  in  prayer :  we  may  pray  at  any  time,  for  he 
is  always  ready  to  hear ;  at  special  times,  such  as  Ezra's 
crisis  when  he  started  out  on  a  long,  dangerous  journey,  or 
such  as  the  crisis  of  the  friends  gathered  in  Marv's  house 


278  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

when  they  heard  about  the  imprisonment  of  their  comrade, 
Peter. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  was  the  prayer  that  Jesus  taught  when 
he  told  how  to  speak  to  God. 

Teach  a  prayer  verse. 


READING  LESSON   FROM   THE  BLACKBOARD 

"  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray." — Luke  11  :L 
"  Your  Father  knoweth  what  things  ye  have  need  of,  be- 
fore ye  ask  him." — Matthew  6:8b. 


PRAYER 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 

SONG 

"  God  Is  Always  Near  Us." 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  first  verse  of  the  blackboard  reading  lesson. 

Make  a  blackboard  drawing  of  an  Oriental  house  and  let 
the  pupils  copy  it. 

Let  the  children  make  a  very  impromptu  representation 
of  the  scene  of  Peter  knocking  at  the  door  and  Rhoda  an- 
swering and  hurrying  eagerly  to  tell  the  news.  "  Peter  " 
may  then  tell  his  story. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

KING  DAVID'S  WISH  AND  PRAYER 

II  Samuel,  chapter  7 

Me^mory  Vkrse 

"  Jehovah  is  nigh  unto  all  them  that  call  upon  him." 

—Psalm  145:18a. 

The:  Te:ache:r's  Pre:paration 

To-day's  lesson  story  is  taken  from  a  bright  spot  in  the 
history  of  the  Kingdom  of  Judah.  Jerusalem  was  at  the  time 
the  well-established  capital,  to  a  large  extent,  the  work  of 
King  David  who  had  reached  the  height  of  his  power  and 
glory.  He  had  seen  the  possibilities  of  the  stronghold  of  the 
Jebusites  and  with  remarkable  foresight  obtained  it  for  his 
capital. 

David  was  now  rich  and  prosperous,  and  had  gained  the 
love  of  his  people.  He  was  bending  his  own  life  as  well  as 
the  lives  of  his  subjects  to  the  will  of  God.  God,  according 
to  his  promise,  rewarded  Judah  with  a  period  of  peace  and 
unprecedented  prosperity  and  happiness. 

One  of  the  most  joyful  occurrences  in  David's  life  as  well 
as  that  of  the  nation  was  the  bringing  of  the  Ark  from  its 
resting  place  in  the  house  of  Obed-edom  in  Kiriath-jearim 
where  it  had  been  ever  since  Uzzah  met  his  death  for  touch- 
ing it  (II  Samuel  6:1-12),  and  placing  it  in  a  tent  on  the  hill 
in  Jerusalem. 

When  peace  comes  to  a  nation,  the  people  naturally  turn 
to  building  and  beautifying  their  homes  and  public  build- 
ings. This  now  happened  in  Judah.  David  built  a  beautiful 
palace  of  cedar  wood.  His  neighbor,  King  Hiram  of  .Tyre, 
furnished  much  of  the  material  from  the  wonderful  cedar 

279 


280  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

forests  of  his  country.  He  also  sent  skilled  mechanics, 
workers  in  wood,  and  masons  to  help  in  the  building. 

David  was  pleased  with  his  beautiful  new  house,  and  his 
heart  turned  to  God  in  thankfulness  and  gratitude  for  this 
and  all  his  other  mercies.  Perhaps,  as  he  looked  from  his 
windows,  he  could  see  the  tent  in  which  had  been  placed  the 
Ark.  He  contrasted  "  God's  house  "  with  his  own.  Then  was 
suggested  his  wish  to  construct  a  house  which  he  consid- 
ered fitting  for  God.  David  desired  it  to  be  far  handsomer 
than  his  own  palace,  and  he  began  to  dream  dreams  and 
form  plans. 

Nathan,  the  prophet,  was  the  instructor  and  interpreter 
of  God's  will  to  the  king  and  the  people.  A  distinct  pro- 
hibition to  this  plan  of  David's  was  given  to  him  to  bear 
to  David. 

The  manner  in  which  the  successful,  high-spirited  king 
w^as  able  to  receive  the  answer  "  No  "  and  his  intimate,  sub- 
missive  prayer  to  God  forms  the  burden  of  this  story,  which 
is  a  wonderfully  important  lesson  for  boys  and  girls  of  to- 
day to  learn. 

Thi^  Story 

A  tent,  a  cave  in  the  rocks,  a  palace!  David  had  lived 
in  them  all. 

When  he  was  a  boy  and  took  care  of  his  father's  sheep, 
he  often  lived  in  a  tent. 

But  this  was  the  same  David  who  killed  the  giant.  First 
the  king  was  glad  and  invited  him  to  come  to  the  palace  and 
play  his  harp  for  him.  But  afterwards  this  strange  king 
became  angry  and  jealous  because  everyone  loved  David. 
He  threatened  to  kill  the  shepherd  boy,  and  David  had  to 
run  away  and  hide.  Those  were  the  days  that  he  lived  in  a 
cave  to  keep  himself  from  the  angry  King  Saul  as  well  as 
from  the  wild  wolves  and  bears  and  from  robbers. 

But  all  that  was  years  before.  King  Saul  was  dead. 
David  was  now  king.    He  himself  lived  in  a  palace. 

What  a  beautiful  palace  it  was !  It  was  made  of  sweet- 
smelliftg  cedar  wood;  the  fragrance  made  David  think  of 
forests  of  tall  trees. 

A  king  of  another  land  had  sent  the  wood  to  him.  This 
king  owned  great  forests  of  these  tall  cedar  trees. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


18\ 


The  builders  and  masons  were  men  of  great  skill.  They, 
too,  had  come  from  the  country  of  the  friendly  king.  David 
and  all  his  people  were  very  proud  of  the  palace  when  it  was 
all  finished. 

Now  there  was  a  hill  that  David  could  see  from  his  palace 
— and  he  often  looked  over  toward  it.  On  the  top  of  it  was 
a  tent.  In  that  tent  was  the  most  precious  thing  in  all  the 
land.  The  king  loved  it  more  even  than  he  loved  his  new 
palace. 

The  precious   thing  was  the  Ark  of   God.     The  people 

.  loved  it,  too.     Just  a  little  while  before  they  had  brought  it 

to  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  put  it  in  the  tent  on  the  hill. 

They  sang  and  rejoiced  when  they  brought  it.     It  had  been 

hidden  away  in  a  house  for  a  long  time. 

The  Ark  of  God  was  a  long,  golden  box.  Over  it  were 
the  figures  of  two  golden  angels  with  outstretched  wings. 
Two  long  handles  were  passed  through  golden  rings;  by 
these  the  Ark  was  to  be  carried.  The  Ark  was  the  sign  of 
God's  nearness  to  his  people.  Long  before,  enemies  of  David 
and  the  people  had  stolen  it  away.  Now  it  was  safe  on  the 
hill. 

When  David  looked  from  his  palace  windows  and  saw  the 
tent  his  face  grew  troubled.  He  thought :  "  Here  am  I  living 
in  a  fine  palace  made  of  cedar  wood,  while  the  Ark  of  God 
is  in  a  tent.  It  is  as  if  I  thought  a  tent  good  enough  for  the 
house  of  my  God.  Why  should  I,  David,  live  in  a  house 
finer  than  the  house  of  my  God  ?  " 

Then  he  began  to  make  plans:  "I  will  build  a  beautiful 
house  for  God.  It  shall  be  more  splendid  than  my  palace; 
it  shall  be  the  most  beautiful  dwelling  that  I  can  make.  It,' 
too,  shall  have  beams  of  cedar.  There  shall  be  golden  doors 
swung  on  golden  hinges,  floors  of  marble,  and  trimmings  of 
precious  stones." 

Now  there  was  a  wise,  good  man  named  Nathan  who  lived 
in  Jerusalem.  He  was  a  prophet ;  that  is,  he  was  one  of 
those  men  to  whom  God  often  spoke  and  told  his  wishes. 
Nathan  was  a  friend  of  King  David. 

King  David  called  the  prophet  to  him  and  told  him  all  his 
plans.  "  Why  should  I  live  in  a  palace,  Nathan,  when  our 
God  dwells  in  that  tent  over  yonder?  Shall  I  have  a  finer 
dwelling  place  than  God  ?    I  will  build  a  splendid  house  for 


282  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

him.  It  shall  be  of  cedar,  with  floors  of  marble  and  doors 
of  gold  hung  in  golden  hinges.  It  shall  have  splendid  purple 
curtains,  and  shall  be  trimmed  with  precious  stones." 

Nathan  thought  the  king's  plan  right  and  good,  and  he 
said,  "  Let  the  king  do  all  that  is  in  his  mind."  But  that 
night  God  came  to  Nathan  in  a  vision.  He  said :  "  Tell  King 
David  that  it  is  not  my  wish  for  him  to  build  me  a  splendid 
house.  Have  I  not  gone  with  my  people  from  place  to  place 
in  their  wanderings  and  had  but  a  tent  for  shelter?  It  is 
not  best  for  David  to  build  me  a  house  at  this  time.  I  have 
other  work  for  him  to  do.  But  tell  my  servant  David  that 
I  am  well  pleased  with  him.  Tell  him  that  his  son  shall 
build  me  a  house."  The  answer  was  **  No."  Nathan  went 
to  the  palace,  and  told  King  David  all  that  God  had  said. 
Now  David  loved  God  so  much  that  he  was  willing  to  take 
God's  answer  "  No."  He  knelt  down  and  told  God  what 
was  in  his  heart  in  words  something  like  this :  "  O  God,  I 
thank  thee  for  all  the  great  things  that  thou  hast  done  for 
me  all  the  days  of  my  life.  I  wanted  to  make  a  beautiful 
house  for  thee,  but  if  it  is  not  thy  wish,  I  will  not  build  it. 
Whatever  is  thy  wish,  I  am  ready  to  do." 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotional  Service 

Talk  to  your  little  people  in  a  very  simple  way  about  three 
things : 

How  they  may  speak  to  God  and  what  they  may  say. 
(What  is  in  their  hearts). 

When  they  may  speak  to  God.     (At  any  time.) 

Where  they  may  speak  to  God. 

BEACKBOARD   EXERCISE 

"  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray." 

PRAYER 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  blackboard  verse. 

Copy  and  learn  the  following  prayer : 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  283 

"We  thank  thee,  loving  Father, 
For  all  thy  tender   care, 
For  food  and  clothes  and  shelter, 
And  all  thy  world  so  fair." 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  ANSWER  "  NO  " 

Psalm  63:1;  143:6-8;  Matthew  6:6-13 

Mkmory  Vkrse: 

"  Your  Father  knoweth  what  things  ye  have  need  of,  be- 
fore ye  ask  him." — Matthew  6:8b. 

The:  Tkachkr's  Preparation 

Prayer  is  the  expression  of  our  desires  to  God;  it  should 
be  almost  like  an  instinct.  Just  as  it  is  natural  for  a  child 
to  ask  of  its  father,  so  should  it  also  become  spontaneous,  in 
the  ordinary  course  of  things,  for  the  children  of  earth  to 
speak  their  desires  intimately  to  their  heavenly  Father. 

Throughout  the  pages  of  the  Bible  continual  reference  is 
made  to  prayer,  and  there  are  many  verses  telling  of  God's 
desire  to  have  his  children  speak  to  him.  Prayers  of  sup- 
plication, of  thanksgiving,  and  of  praise  are  given;  for  ex- 
ample :  Abraham's  prayer  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  ;  David's 
prayer  about  the  Temple  which  he  knew  would  be  built  by 
his  son  Solomon,  "  Give  unto  Solomon  my  son  a  perfect 
heart,  to  keep  thy  commandments,  thy  testimonies,  and  thy 
statutes,  and  to  do  all  these  things,  and  to  build  the  palace, 
for  which  I  have  made  provision  " ;  Elisha's  prayer  for  the 
Shunammite's  son ;  Moses'  prayers ;  Solomon's  prayers. 

Jesus  gave  us  a  model  of  prayer.  Instances  of  his  prayers 
are  given  all  through  the  story  of  his  life. 

Many  references  to  the  affirmative  answer  to  requests  are 
given,  for  we  are  assured  that  God  likes  to  grant  us  our  de- 
sires. Yet  this  cannot  be  always  so,  any  more  than  it  is 
always  possible  for  a  parent  to  give  his  child  exactly  what  he 
wishes.  To  be  able  to  accept  a  negative  answer  is  often  hard 
^yet  it  should  be  done.  David  is  a  remarkable  example  of 
the  possibility  of  a  high-spirited  character  so  self-disciplined 


284  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

as  to  be  able  to  accept  the  answer  "  No  "  when  it  seemed  to 
thwart  one  of  the  dearest  desires  of  his  life ;  which  so  far  as 
he  himself  could  then  see,  appeared  a  perfectly  innocent 
and  an  unselfish  desire. 

Christ  is  the  supreme  Example  of  One  who  could  accept 
the  negative  answer,  when  he  asked,  "  My  Father,  if  it  be 
possible,  let  this  cup  pass  away  from  me " ;  then,  "  My 
Father,  if  this  cannot  pass  away,  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will 
be  done." 

In  Maltbie  Babcock's  "  Thoughts  for  Everyday  Living  " 
he  speaks  of  "God's  Answer  " : 

"  Let  us  not  forget  the  emphasis  and  miss  the  comfort  of 
the  words  '  know  how  '  in  the  verse :  '  If  ye  then,  being  evil, 
know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children.'  Are  the 
honest,  earnest  prayers  of  God's  children  always  heard? 
Always.  Are  they  always  answered?  Always.  In  the  way 
we  expect?  Not  always.  If  a  hungry  child  asks  for  a 
scorpion,  will  his  father  give  him  a  scorpion?  Not  if  he 
knows  how  to  give  his  children  good  things  to  eat.  If  he  is 
asked  for  a  stone,  for  '  that  which  is  not  bread,'  by  a  child 
driven  by  hunger,  but  deceived  by  appearances,  will  he  mis- 
take the  child's  inner  need  and  real  meaning? 

"  Because  our  heavenly  Father  knows  how  to  give  good 
gifts,  we  may  ask  with  perfect  confidence  for  what  we  want. 
He  will  give  what  is  best.  We  often  know  how  to  ask  more 
intelligently  the  next  time  because  of  the  answer  we  get. 
The  promise  is  kept,  and  we  have  learned  something  new 
about  God's  purposes  and  resources." 

You  may  illustrate  the  necessity  of  the  negative  answer 
by  means  of  the  following  little  story  of  everyday  child  life. 

The:  Story 

The  most  beautiful  strawberries  grew  in  Mr.  Perry's 
garden ;  and  they  were  now  big  and  ripe  and  luscious.  Their 
fragrance,  with  that  of  the  June  roses,  stole  over  the  hedge 
and  down  the  road,  and  the  bees  and  the  birds  and  the  boys 
and  the  girls  thought  the  garden  the  loveliest  spot  in  all 
the  town. 

Mr.  Perry  was  such  a  kind-hearted,  generous  man  that 
he  did  not  mind  sharing  a  few  of  his  strawberries  and  his 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  285 

roses  with  the  bees  and  the  birds,  and  he  wanted  to  share 
more  of  his  luscious  berries  with  the  boys  and  the  girls.  You 
see,  he  was  a  rich  old  man  and  did  not  raise  his  berries  for 
market,  but  just  for  himself  and  his  friends — and,  when  he 
came  to  think  about  it,  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  believe  the 
bees  and  the  birds  and  the  boys  and  the  girls  are  amongst 
my  very,  very  best  friends." 

So  it  happened  that  one  June  morning  the  postman  brought 
a  note  to  every  boy  and  girl  in  town  inviting  them  to  come 
to  a  strawberry  festival  in  Mr.  Perry's  grove  on  Saturday 
afternoon. 

"  Come  to  the  grove  at  three  o'clock,"  read  the  note. 
"  The  birds  and  the  bees  will  be  there,  too,  but  they  come 
without  an  invitation." 

Robert  showed  the  note  to  mother  and  his  face  was  all 
aglow  while  she  read.  Then  he  saw  that  the  answer  was 
going  to  be  "  No,"  by  looking  into  her  eyes.  Mother's  eyes 
were  sorry-looking,  but  they  were  firm  when  she  was  going 
to  say  "  No." 

"  Patrick's  children  will  surely  be  there,"  thought  mother. 
Patrick  was  Mr.  Perry's  chauffeur,  and  he  lived  over  the 
garage.  "  Katie  is  getting  over  the  mumps  and  Jimmy  has 
not  had  them  yet.  Mr.  Perry  is  just  as  kind-hearted  as  he 
can  be,  but  he  does  not  know  a  great  deal  about  children's 
diseases,  as  he  never  has  had  any  Httle  boys  and  girls  of  his 
own.  If  Robert  should  take  the  mumps,  he  could  not  go 
with  his  father  on  his  trip  to  Canada.  It  is  partly  a  business 
trip,  and  he  could  not  possibly  wait  till  Robert  grew  well 
again.  It  would  be  such  a  disappointment  to  both.  No,  he 
had  better  not  go.     I  will  tell  Mr.  Perry  about  it." 

Mother  explained :  "  You  would  probably  be  ill  just  the 
time  of  father's  trip,  dear.  And  you  would  have  to  stay 
home.  How  sorry  you  would  be  to  miss  it!  No,  dear;  it 
is  not  best."  That  is  why  Robert  was  sitting  disconsolately 
on  the  side  porch  when  the  children  trooped  by  on  their  way 
to  the  grove. 

Then  what  do  you  think  Robert  did  ?  He  crept  along  by 
the  hedge,  out  to  the  road,  nearer,  nearer,  nearer,  till  he 
came  to  the  big  walnut  tree  just  at  the  edge  of  the  grove. 

Mr.  Perry  saw  him  and  called :  *'  Ah,  here's  Robert ! 
Come  along,  get  your  strawberries,  laddie  !    Come  !  "  and  he 


286  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

handed  Robert  a  great,  heaping  plateful.  How  sweet  and 
juicy  they  were !  Robert  took  the  berries  and  sat  down  under 
the  tree. 

"  Hello,  Robert !  "  It  was  Patrick's  little  boy,  but  Robert 
was  busy. 

"  Hello !  "  Robert  answered,  but  he  did  not  turn.  He  did 
not  notice  that  Jimmy's  face  looked  a  bit  one-sided,  and  that 
he  did  not  join  in  the  fun  as  usual. 

"  I'm  glad  I  didn't  let  you  go  to  the  grove  yesterday, 
dear,"  said  mother  at  the  supper  table  the  next  evening. 
"  Jimmy  is  at  home,  ill  with  the  mumps."  Robert  dropped 
his  eyes  to  his  plate,  and  said  nothing ;  but,  oh,  how  ashamed 
he  was,  and  how  sorry  ! 

Of  course  you  can  guess  the  rest  of  this  story ;  how  before 
long  the  shape  of  Robert's  face  looked  something  like  the 
shape  of  a  Christmas  plum  pudding;  and  how  he  couldn't 
eat,  and  how  altogether  miserable  he  felt.  And,  of  course, 
you  can  guess  that  the  mumps  came  just  at  the  time  of  the 
trip.  Mother  knew  best!  When  father  had  gone,  Robert 
buried  his  face  in  the  couch  pillow  and  cried  like  a  baby. 

Suggestions  for  the  Dkvotionai,  Si:rviciv 
A  personal  talk  about  the  answers   fathers  and  mothers 

give — and  why. 

Did  your  mother  ever  say  "  No  "  when  you  asked  her  if 

you  might  do  sotnething  that  you  wanted  to  do  very  much  ? 

How  did  it  turn  out  ?    Was  your  way  or  mother's  way  best  ? 

Lead    in    a    spirited    little    conversational    lesson    on    this 

theme,  guarding  against  the  development  of  anything  like 

Pharisaism. 

BI.ACKB0ARD  RE:ADING  LI^SSON 

"Hear  my  prayer,  O  Jehovah;  .  .  . 
In  thy  faithfulness  answer  me  .  .  . 
I   spread  forth  my  hands  unto  thee: 
My  soul  thirsteth  after  thee  .  .  . 

Make  haste  to  answer  me,  O  Jehovah: " 

— Selected  from  Psalm  143. 

jESUS'  PRAYER 
"  Thy  will  be  done."— Matthew  6  ;10b. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  287 

PRAYER 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse  or  the  verse  under  the  heading, 
"  Jesus'  Prayer." 

Remember  during  the  week  the  answers  mother  gives  to 
some  of  your  requests  and  tell  about  them  when  you  come 
to  class  again. 


HOW  WE  MAY  WORSHIP  GOD 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

BRINGING  OUR  GIFTS  TO  GOD 

II  Chronicles  24:4-14 

Memory  Vkrsi^ 

"  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." — II  Corinthians  9 :7. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

King  Joash  began  to  reign  when  he  was  only  seven  years 
old ;  so  of  course,  during  the  early  years  of  his  reign,  he  was 
under  the  guidance  and  influence  of  those  who  were  his  ad- 
visers. Chief  of  these  was  Jehoiada,  the  high  priest  of  the 
Temple.  The  boy  king's  succession  to  the  throne  was  spec- 
tacular :  Athaliah,  his  grandmother,  daughter  of  the  wicked 
Sidonian  princess,  Jezebel,  and  King  y\hab,  determined  to 
have  the  crown  for  herself.  King  Ahaziah,  her  son,  was 
slain,  and  in  the  haste  and  surprise  and  confusion,  his  mother 
endeavored  to  obtain  control  of  Judah.  The  evil  woman 
planned  to  do  this  by  murdering  all  the  seed  royal.  How- 
ever, by  the  quick  action  of  Jehosheba,  the  king's  sister,  the 
baby  Joash  was  saved ;  she  hid  him  in  the  Temple. 

This  aunt  of  the  little  royal  heir  was  the  wife  of  Jehoiada, 
the  high  priest.  And  so  it  was  that  the  boy  lived  in  the 
silent  cloisters  of  God's  house,  quite  safe  from  discovery, 
since  the  worship  of  God  was  now  so  neglected  in  conse- 
quence of  the  idol  worship  introduced  by  Jezebel. 

Joash  was  proclaimed  king  by  the  strategy  of  Jehoiada. 
(Read  the  account  in  II  Chronicles,  chapter  23.)  As  long 
as  Jehoiada  lived,  he  was  under  the  influence  of  the  good, 
old  priest  who  longed  to  see  his  people  brought  back  to  the 
worship  of  the  true  God.  It  was  through  this  young  king, 
the  only  living  direct  heir  of  David,  that  he  felt  this  could 
be  accomplished,  and  so  we  can  imagine  the  extreme  care 

291 


292  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

that  was  taken  to  instruct  him  in  all  the  ways  that  Jehoiada 
knew  would  bring  his  heart  into  tune  to  the  religion  which 
was  so  dear  to  him. 

During  the  life  of  this  uncle,  Joash  was  an  exemplary 
king.  He  "  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah." 
One  of  these  right  things  was  to  repair  the  Temple  which 
had  now  fallen  into  a  state  of  neglect  and  was  in  sad  need 
of  attention.  It  was  at  this  time  over  one  hundred  and  forty 
years  old. 

Our  story  to-day  tells  of  how  the  king  influenced  his 
people  to  bring  gifts  of  money  to  do  this  work.  We  use  the 
incident  to  illustrate  the  theme :  "  How  We  May  Worship 
God."  Let  us  show  the  children  how  to  give  their  love  and 
worship  a  practical  turn.  Real  love  should  always  bring 
with  it  a  willingness  to  give,  even  if  the  gifts  require  a  sacri- 
fice on  the  part  of  the  giver.  This  is  one  proof  of  the  sin- 
cerity and  depth  of  our  worship. 

Th^  Story 

If  it  had  not  been  for  God's  house,  King  Joash  probably 
never  would  have  been  king  at  all.  What  is  more,  he  prob- 
ably would  have  been  killed  when  he  was  only  a  little,  year- 
old  baby  boy. 

His  father  was  killed  in  a  battle;  and  unfortunately  this 
baby  had  a  bad  grandmother — so  very,  very  different  from 
most  grandmothers,  the  whole  wide  world  over.  She  wanted 
to  be  queen.  She  wanted  to  be  queen  so  much  that  she 
ordered  all  the  children  of  the  royal  family  killed.  Little 
baby  Joash  would  have  been  killed,  but  his  good  aunt  seized 
him  in  her  arms  and  hid  him  away.  She  took  him  to  the 
Temple  where  her  good  husband  was  the  high  priest. 

There  the  good  aunt  and  uncle  took  care  of  the  little  child 
until  he  was  seven  years  old. 

Very  few  people  ever  came  to  the  Temple  in  those  days, 
because  they  had  turned  away  to  worship  and  pray  to  idols. 
This  made  the  good  old  uncle  and  aunt  very  sad,  for  they 
loved  God  with  all  their  hearts  and  were  true  to  him. 

When  the  little  boy's  uncle  Jehoiada  did  his  work  about 
the  Temple  he  would  think :  "  The  years  are  passing.  Our 
little  Joash  is  growing;  some  day  he  will  be  king.  Then,  O 
God,  he  will  turn  his  people  back  to  thee.    I  will  teach  him." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  293 

I  am  quite  sure,  too,  that  the  good  aunt  would  tell  him 
stories  about  the  little  boy  Joseph  and  his  coat  of  manv 
colors ;  and  about  Samuel,  the  boy  who  also  had  lived  in  the 
Temple  and  listened  to  God's  voice;  and  about  good  King 
David  who  gathered  together  all  the  beautiful  things  that 
were  built  into  this  wonderful  house  of  God,  which  was  now 
giving  him  shelter. 

Joash  loved  God,  and  he  loved  the  Temple. 

Sometimes  he  must  have  said  to  his  uncle :  "  There  are 
cracks  in  the  walls.  Uncle  Jehoiada ;  and  the  floors  are  old." 

Then  his  uncle  would  answer :  "  Yes,  my  son,  the  house 
of  God  is  growing  old.  It  needs  to  be  mended.  But  the 
people  do  not  care.  They  have  forgotten  the  God  of  their 
fathers.  O  that  they  would  come  here  and  worship  as  they 
did  in  good  King  David's  time !  " 

He  would  tell  Joash  how,  long  before,  the  great  timbers 
were  floated  down  the  waters  from  the  country  of  the  big 
forests ;  how  the  people  gave  gifts  of  gold  and  silver  and 
precious  stones. 

"  Anything  !  Everything  !  Nothing  was  too  good  to  give 
to  their  God  in  those  days,  my  son !  "  said  the  good  old  man 
sorrowfully. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  the  boy  would  think  to  himself :  "  I 
wish  I  were  king.  If  I  were  king,  I  would  make  God's 
house  new  and  beautiful  for  him  again.'' 

Then  one  day  Joash  was  made  king,  and  when  he  grew  to 
be  a  young  man,  he  called  the  people  back  to  God.  He  bade 
them  give  up  their  wicked  idol  worship. 

He  said  to  the  priests,  "  Go  gather  money  to  mend  and 
fix  the  Temple."  But  for  some  reason  the  money  did  not 
come  in  very  fast. 

Then  the  king  thought  of  a  plan  to  stir  up  the  people  and 
make  them  want  to  give.  He  talked  over  the  plan  with  his 
uncle. 

They  took  a  chest  and  placed  it  near  the  altar.  It  was 
something  like  a  big,  wooden  box.  The  uncle  bored  a  hole 
in  the  lid.  When  the  people  came  to  the  Temple,  they  gave 
their  money  to  the  priests.  All  the  money  was  to  be  used 
to  mend  the  Temple. 

When  the  chest  was  full,  two  good  nclpers  of  the  king 
and  his  uncle  came  and  emptied  and  counted  the  money; 


294  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

then  they  put  the  empty  chest  back  again.  They  did  this 
over  and  over  again,  and  the  people  came  and  filled  it  over 
and  over  again.  The  more  they  gave,  the  gladder  they  be- 
came. They  began  to  see  how  badly  the  beautiful  Temple 
needed  to  be  cleaned  and  mended.  They  came  back  again  to 
worship  God. 

By  and  by  there  was  enough  money  to  begin  work.  Car- 
penters and  masons  and  workers  in  metal  came.  They 
worked  until  the  Temple  was  clean  and  whole  and  beautiful 
once  more. 

What  was  left  of  the  money  they  brought  to  the  king  and 
the  good  old  priest.  With  this  they  bought  gold  and  silver. 
Then  skilled  men  made  gold  and  silver  dishes  and  spoons 
for  God's  house. 

Everyone  was  glad  to  come  back  and  to  worship  God  in 
his  beautiful  house.  And  God  was  glad  to  hear  the  prayers 
of  his  people  again. 

Suggestions  for  thk  Devotional  Service 

A  bible  reading  lesson 

"  Oh  come,  let  us  sing  unto  Jehovah ;  .  .  . 
For  Jehovah  is  a  great  God, 
And  a  great  King  above  all  gods  .  .  . 
Oh  come,  let  us  worship  and  bow  down  ; 
Let  us  kneel  before  Jehovah  our  Maker: 
For  he  is  our  God." 

— Selections  from  Psalm  95. 

*'  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver." 

— II  Corinthians  9:7b. 

*'  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." — Acts  20:35c. 
"  Freely  ye  received,  freely  give." — Matthew  10:8. 

song 
"  The  Sabbath  Bells  Are  Ringing,"  "  Primary  and  Junior 
Hymnal  "  (Verses  1,  4,  5). 

prayer 
Our  heavenly  Father,  we  come  to  praise  ana  worship  thee. 
Thou  art  our  God.    We  thank  thee  for  all  the  blessings  that 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  295 

thou  hast  sent  us.     Accept  the  gifts  that  we  bring  because 
of  our  love  for  thee.    Amen. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Interest  the  pupils  in  giving  something  to  make  the  church 
or  Sunday-school  room  more  beautiful.  A  small  box  may 
be  furnished  by  the  teacher  or  one  of  the  children  and  a  col- 
lection taken  and  kept  until  there  is  enough  to  buy  a  flower 
or  a  vase  for  containing  the  church  flowers. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

"  YE  DID  IT  UNTO  ME  " 

Matthew  25  :35-40 

Memory  Verse 

"  Every  man  shall  give  as  he  is  able."  / 

— Deuteronomy  16:17. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 
Use  this  lesson  to  help  the  children  to  understand  that 
it  is  not  alone  the  size  of  the  gift  that  pleases  God.  Their 
own  small  gifts  are  not  overlooked  by  their  heavenly  Father. 
They  may  worship  him  with  their  offerings  just  as  truly  as 
may  the  great  and  wealthy.  It  is  the  worship  in  the  heart 
that  prompts  the  gift  that  is  desired  by  God.  This  is  one  of 
the  great  lessons  that  Christ  taught.  It  is  not  gold  alone 
that  God  wishes:  Sometimes  a  small  deed  of  kindness  is  a 
far  greater  gift  of  worship.     Horatius  Bonar  reminds  us: 

Waste  not  thy  being;   back  to  him 
Who  freely  gave  it,  freely  give. 

In  speaking  of  the  manner  of  worshiping  God,  Dr.  Jowett 
carries  us  back  to  the  story  of  David's  meditation  in  his 
palace  of  cedar: 

"  So  the  best  was  for  man,  and  the  second  best  for  God ! 
The  cedar  for  self-indulgence,  and  the  curtains  for  the  home 


296  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

of  worship !  It  is  a  marked  sign  of  spiritual  awakening 
when  a  man  begins  to  contrast  his  own  indulgences  with  the 
rights  of  God.  There  are  so  many  of  us  who  are  lavish  in 
our  home  and  miserly  in  the  sanctuary.  We  multiply  treas- 
ures which  bring  us  little  profit,  and  we  are  niggardly  where 
treasure  would  be  of  most  gracious  service. 

"  *I  dwell  in  a  house  of  cedar/  and  yet  I  am  thoughtless 
about  God's  poor !  For  I  must  remember  that  the  poor  are 
the  arks  of  the  Lord.  '  I  was  .  .  .  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me 
not.'  " 

It  is  an  easy  mental  step  even  for  a  little  child  to  grasp  that 
God  is  worshiped  by  the  loving  gifts  to  those  in  need — ma- 
terial gifts  or  gifts  of  deeds  of  kindness. 

The  passage  of  Scripture  chosen  for  this  lesson  is,  nat- 
urally, Matthew  25  :35-40.  It  will  be  used  more  than  once 
in  this  course,  for  it  is  a  lesson  that  must  be  often  repeated. 

The  illustrative  story  given  to-day  is  an  adaptation  of 
Count  Tolstoy's  "  Where  Love  Is,  There  God  Is  Also."  It 
is  shortened  and  simplified  and  made  very  primary  in 
vocabulary  and  sentence  structure. 

The:  Story 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  an  old  shoemaker  who  lived 
all  alone  in  a  tiny  room  in  a  basement.  The  room  had  one 
window  which  looked  out  in  the  street. 

He  would  bore  a  hole  in  the  leather  with  his  strong  awl. 
Then  "  Tap,  tap,  tap,"  would  go  his  hammer ;  and  "  Stitch ! 
Stitch !  "  he  would  sew  with  his  needle. 

They  were  good,  honest  shoes  that  Shoemaker  Martyn 
made,  and  people  were  glad  to  buy  them. 

Martyn  would  often  look  out  of  the  window  at  the 
passers-by.  He  could  see  only  their  feet  from  his  little 
basement  window,  but  he  knew  many  of  the  shoes  that 
passed.  Many  of  them  he  had  made — he  even  knew  the 
patches.     He  also  knew  when  a  stranger  passed. 

However,  although  Martyn  had  plenty  of  shoes  to  make 
and  to  mend,  and  plenty  to  eat,  he  was  a  sad  old  man.  He 
was  lonely;  his  good  wife  and  all  his  children  were  dead. 

"If  only  I,  too,  could  die,"  he  said  to  a  kind  old  friend 
who  had  come  to  visit  him. 

*V\h !  Martyn !     That  is  a  wicked  wish,"  cried  his  friend. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  vSCHOOL  LESSONS  297 

"  God  gave  us  life.  We  must  live  for  him.  When  you 
learn  to  worship  God  and  to  live  for  him,  you  will  be  happy." 

"  How  ?  "  asked  Martyn. 

"  Christ  has  shown  us  how !  Don't  you  know  how  to 
read?    Buy  yourself  a  Bible  and  read." 

Martyn  went  that  very  day  and  bought  himself  a  Bible. 
He  put  on  his  spectacles  and  read  and  read  and  read.  When 
night  came,  he  lighted  his  lamp  and  read  some  more.  The 
more  he  read,  the  better  he  liked  it,  the  happier  he  grew, 
and  the  less  he  felt  like  crying.    He  hated  even  to  go  to  bed. 

He  became  very  angry  when  he  read  how  meanly  some  of 
the  people  treated  Christ  when  he  lived  upon  earth.  He 
grew  more  and  more  angry. 

Then  he  took  off  his  glasses  to  think.  "  Would  I  have 
done  so,  if  he  had  come  to  me?  "  and  as  he  was  thinking,  he 
fell  asleep. 

Suddenly  he  seemed  to  hear  some  one  breathe  in  his  ear, 
"  Martyn !  " 

"  Who  is  that  ?  "  he  asked  as  he  slept. 

"  Martyn,  Martyn,  remember !  To-morrow  I  will  come  to 
the  street." 

Martyn  arose  in  the  morning  before  daybreak,  said  his 
prayers,  made  a  fire,  put  the  beet  soup  and  porridge  on  the 
fire,  tied  his  apron,  and  sat  down  at  his  window  to  work. 

He  looked  out  on  the  street  a  good  deal  that  day,  as  he 
worked,  and  thought  of  his  Book  and  of  his  dream.  He 
looked  at  the  boots  that  passed,  and  if  they  belonged  to  a 
stranger,  he  peered  up  at  the  faces. 

Now  a  man  would  pass  in  fine  new  felt  boots ;  then  some 
one  else,  and  some  one  else. 

Presently  an  old  soldier  passed  by ;  he  wore  an  old,  old 
pair  of  patched  boots ;  he  was  bent  and  cold.  He  stopped  to 
shovel  the  snow  from  Martyn's  door,  but  the  work  was  far 
too  heavy  for  him. 

"  I  ought  to  give  him  some  tea,"  said  Martyn  to  himself. 
He  stuck  his  awl  into  the  wood  and  tapped  on  the  window. 

"  Come  in  and  get  warmed  up,"  he  called,  and  then  he 
filled  a  glass  with  tea  and  gave  it  to  the  old  soldier. 

"  Have  some  more,"  he  said,  when  the  glass  was  empty. 

Martyn  looked  out  of  the  window. 


298  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  Are  you  watching  for  some  one  ?  "  asked  the  soldier. 

Then  Alartyn  told  about  his  Bible  and  his  dream.  "  'I  will 
come  to-morrow !  '  the  voice  said  to  me,  and  I  have  been 
thinking  about  it  all  day." 

The  grateful  old  soldier  thanked  Martyn  and  went  away. 
Martyn  washed  the  dishes  and  went  to  work  again. 

More  people  passed,  and  more.  Then  Martyn  saw  a  pair 
of  old,  old  shoes.  A  poor,  shivering  mother  with  thin 
clothing  was  trying  to  keep  her  baby  warm. 

Martyn  pitied  her.  He  went  to  the  door  and  called : 
"  Come  in !  Don't  stand  there  in  the  cold.  Come !  Sit  near 
the  stove  and  get  warm,  and  feed  the  child.'' 

He  brought  a  bowl  of  warm  bread  and  milk.  *'  Sit  down 
and  eat.  I  will  take  care  of  the  baby.  I  used  to  have  chil- 
dren of  my  own.     I  know  how  to  take  care  of  them." 

Soon  the  mother  was  comfortable,  the  baby  was  smiling, 
and  Martyn  was  happy.  He  told  about  his  Book  and  the 
dream. 

He  gave  the  woman  a  warm  cloak  that  once  had  belonged 
to  his  wife,  and  she  went  away  comforted  and  happy. 

By  and  by  an  old  woman  with  a  basket  of  apples  passed 
by.  A  bad  boy  came  along  and  snatched  an  apple  as  she  took 
her  basket  down  from  her  shoulder  to  rest. 

How  the  old  woman  scolded !  She  grabbed  the  boy  by 
the  hair.  She  made  as  if  to  drag  him  to  the  policeman.  The 
boy  pulled  to  get  away. 

"  I  did  not  take  any !  "  he  lied. 

Martyn  ran  out  to  separate  them.  "  Let  him  go !  For- 
give him !  "  he  cried,  but  the  old  woman  scolded  the  louder. 

"  Let  him  go,  granny,  he  will  not  do  it  again  !  Beg  grand- 
mother's forgiveness,  boy.  Don't  do  that  again.  I  saw  you 
take  it !  " 

The  boy  began  to  cry,  and  asked  forgiveness.  Martyn 
bought  the  apple  and  gave  it  to  him.  Then  he  made  peace 
between  granny  and  the  boy.     Granny's  temper  passed. 

"  Let  me  carry  the  basket,  granny,"  asked  the  boy,  and 
soon  they  were  out  of  sight. 

That  night  Martyn  was  thinking  of  his  dream.  Presently 
a  voice  whispered,  "  Martyn,  O  Martyn,  did  you  know  me?  " 

"  Whom?  "  asked  Martyn. 

"  Me !  "  said  the  voice.    ''  It  is  I !  " 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  299 

Then  out  from  a  dark  corner  came  the  old  soldier;  he 
smiled  and  vanished.  Out  from  the  corner  came  the  woman 
with  the  baby;  they  smiled  and  vanished.  Out  -  from  the 
dark  corner  came  tic  old  woman  and  the  boy;  they  smiled 
and  vanished. 

Martyn's  heart  was  filled  with  joy  and  he  opened  his  Book 
and  read :  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  my 
brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me." 

SUGGF.STI0NS  FOR  THE  DEVOTIONAI,   SERVICE 

Read  Matthew  25  :35-40  from  the  Bible. 
Write  the  Memory  Verse  upon  the  blackboard  and  have 
it  read. 

PRAYER 

Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  remember  that  doing  kind 
things  for  others  is  one  of  the  best  ways  to  worship  thee. 
Amen. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Plan  some  special  deed  of  kindness  to  be  shared  by  all  the 
class. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

LISTENING  AND  TALKING  TO  GOD 
Mark  10:13-16 
Memory  Vdrse: 
"  I  will  hear  what  God  Jehovah  will  speak." — Psalm  85  :8. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

The  region  beyond  the  Jordan  River  was  called  Perea. 
Jesus  passed  through  this  region  and  remained  there  for 
some  time  while  he  was  on  his  way  to  attend  the  passover 
feast,  the  last  year  of  his  ministry. 

The  incident  which  forms  the  iDurden  of  our  story  for  to- 
day occurred  in  Perea,  during  the  last  month  of  his  life, 
March,  a.  d.  30. 

The  actual  telling  of  this  story  will  not  take  very  long, 
but  the  message,  if  properly  given,  will  be  of  great  signifi- 
cance in  the  lives  of  your  pupils ;  it  will  help  to  draw  them 
very  much  closer  to  Jesus. 

One  of  the  most  noticeable  things  about  Jesus  was  his 
friendship  for  the  friendless  ;  his  sympathy  for  the  sufiferer ; 
his  desire  to  help  the  weak ;  and  also  his  affection  for  little 
children.  It  was  his  aim  that  these  should  understand  that 
they  have  a  very  bountiful  share  in  the  love  of  God. 

In  connection  with  this  lesson  teach  the  hymn,  "  I  Think 
When  I  Read  That  Sweet  Story."  Although  it  is  so  old,  it 
is  one  of  the  songs  that  carry  this  thought  of  Jesus'  assur- 
ance of  the  children's  place  in  a  very  clear  and  beautiful  way. 

Try  to  obtain  a  good  but  inexpensive  copy  of  one  of  the 
pictures  representing  this  story.    Among  the  best  are : 

Christ  Blessing  Little  Children,  by  Plockhorst. 

Christ  Blessing  Little  Children,  by  Hofmann. 

The  Triumphal  Entry,  by  Plockhorst. 

300 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  301 

Use  pictures  after  the  story  has  been  told,  and  let  the 
children  make  observations  about  them.  The  best  way  to 
treat  this  lesson  would  be  to  buy  a  copy  of  one  of  these 
pictures  for  each  child.  Ask  the  children  to  find  Jesus  in 
the  picture.  Ask  them  to  look  at  the  children  who  are  close 
to  him.  Do  these  children  look  as  if  they  were  glad  to  be 
there?  Can  you  find  a  child  who  has  brought  a  gift  to 
Jesus?  What  is  the  gift?  What  is  Jesus  saying  about  the 
children  ? 

Since  this  incident  is  given  in  but  four  verses,  it  will  be 
well  to  add  touches  of  home  life  in  order  to  bring  home  its 
full  appeal  to  your  children. 

The:  Story 

Three  little  children  lived  in  a  cunning  little  house  some- 
thing like  this.  (Draw.)  It  was  nearly  square ;  it  had  a  flat 
roof  with  a  railing  round  the  edge :  it  had  a  stairway  that 
went  up  to  the  roof,  like  this.     (Draw.) 

One  bright  spring  day  their  mother  came  to  their  cots  and 
said :  "  Wake  up,  my  dears ;  the  sun  is  shining ;  it  is  morn- 
ing. Come !  Your  cakes  and  milk  are  ready ;  and  you  each 
shall  have  a  fig." 

Mother  had  baby  Joseph  in  her  arms,  and  she  smiled  very 
happily  as  she  looked  down  at  her  boy  and  girl. 

David  and  Ruth  were  hungry,  happy,  healthy  little  chil- 
dren, and  they  were  soon  ready  for  their  breakfasts.  They 
liked  mother's  sweet  cakes,  and  the  fresh  milk,  and  they 
never  grew  tired  of  the  figs  that  grew  on  a  tree  in  their  own 
garden. 

"  What  makes  you  look  so  happy,  to-day,  mother  ?  "  asked 
David,  as  he  put  down  his  cup. 

"  Our  mother  is  always  happy,"  said  Ruth.  "  She  is 
always  happy,  David." 

"  Yes,  but  she  is  very,  very  happy  to-day,"  said  David. 
"  She  acts  as  if  something  very  nice  is  going  to  happen. 
And  the  water  jar  is  already  filled,  and  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  she  has  the  rugs  all  rolled  up,  and  it  is 
early,  so  early,"  added  Ruth.  '*  What  is  going  to  happen, 
mother?  Are  you  going  to  take  us  to  visit  Grandmother 
Lois  ?    Oh,  are  you  ?  " 


302  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  No,  my  dears ;  but  you  are  partly  right.  I  am  going  to 
take  you  somewhere  to-day.  That  is  why  I  called  you  early, 
and  why  I  am  hurrying  to  put  the  house  in  order.  Ruth 
may  put  away  the  dishes,  and  David  may  fill  the  lamp.  We 
will  wash  our  hands  and  faces  very  clean,  and  put  on  our 
best  clothes.    Then  we  will  start." 

"  Where,  mother  ?  "  asked  Ruth. 

"  And  will  you  take  baby  Joseph  ?  "  asked  David. 

"  Jesus  has  come  to  our  country,  children — Jesus  who  has 
healed  the  sick,  and  made  the  lame  to  walk.  Do  you  remem- 
ber that  poor  blind  man  who  used  to  sit  begging  by  the  road- 
side? He  is  a  beggar  no  longer.  Jesus  opened  his  eyes. 
Now  he  can  see  to  work." 

David  and  Ruth  both  remembered. 

"  I  want  you  all  to  see  him.  I  want  to  take  you  to  him. 
All,  even  baby  Joseph.  Perhaps  he  will  talk  to  you;  per- 
haps he  will  give  you  a  blessing." 

So  they  all  left  the  little  house  and  went  along  the  road 
together.  David  and  Ruth  picked  some  of  the  beautiful  wild 
flowers  along  the  road ;  for  they  wanted  to  take  a  gift  to 
Jesus. 

As  they  walked  along  they  saw  some  other  mothers  who 
also  were  taking  their  little  children  to  see  Jesus. 

By  and  by  they  came  to  the  place  where  Jesus  was ;  a 
number  of  men  were  there,  and  they  were  talking  over  very 
deep  questions  with  Jesus.  The  mothers  were  timid,  and 
half  afraid ;  little  David  and  Ruth  and  all  the  other  children 
gathered  close  up  to  their  mothers.  But  their  eyes  kept 
turning  back  to  the  kind  face  of  Jesus. 

The  grave-looking  men  who  had  been  talking  with  Jesus 
also  saw  them.  "  Go  away !  "  exclaimed  one  of  these  men. 
"  You  must  go  away  from  here.  Do  you  not  know  that  you 
will  bother  the  Master  ?    Go  away  !  " 

Jesus  heard,  and  he  was  displeased  with  the  man.  "  Do 
not  send  those  dear  children  away,"  he  said,  and  he  put  out 
his  hands.  "  Do  not  send  them  away !  I  want  them !  I 
love  them !  " 

"  Come,  dear  children !  "  he  exclaimed,  and  his  kind  voice 
took  all  fear  from  their  hearts.    "  Come !  " 

"  Let  the  little  children  come  to  me.  Do  not  send  them 
away  !  "  he  said. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  303 

Little  David  climbed  into  Jesus'  lap ;  Ruth  put  her  arms 
about  Jesus'  neck.  All  the  children  clustered  around.  I  be- 
lieve that  Ruth  and  David  gave  him  the  wild  flowers  they 
had  gathered  on  the  way.  Even  baby  Joseph  put  out  his 
chu])by  hands  to  go  to  Jesus. 

"  Let  all  the  little  children  come  to  me,"  said  Jesus,  and  he 
blessed  them  all. 

Then  he  talked  to  them  and  they  listened  to  every  word 
he  said — they  never  had  heard  such  a  beautiful  voice. 

And  as  long  as  they  lived,  David  and  Ruth  remembered 
that  day  and  the  blessing  and  the  things  that  Jesus  said  to 
them. 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotional  Service: 

a  reading  lesson  from  the  blackboard 

"  I  will  hear  what  God  Jehovah  will  speak." — Psalm  85  :8. 
*'  And  they  were  bringing  unto  him  little  children,  that  he 
should  touch  them."— Mark  10:13. 

"  Jesus  called  them  unto  him,  saying,  Suffer  the  little  chil- 
dren to  come  unto  me." — Luke  18:16a; 

"  And  he  took  them  in  his  arms,  and  blessed  them." 

—Mark  10:16a. 

SONG 

"  Jesus,  Friend  of  Little  Children."    Verses  1,  6. 

PRAYER 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  verse :  "  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto 
me." 

Ask  the  children  to  try  to  find  a  little  friend  to  bring  with 
them  the  next  time  they  come  to  Sunday  school. 


304  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

"  IN  SHUSHAN  THE  PALACE  " 

Nehemiah  1:1  to  2:11 

Memory  Vkrse 

"  So  I  prayed  to  the  God  of  heaven." — Nehemiah  2 :4b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Review  your  ancient  history  a  bit,  in  order  to  obtain  a 
fresh  idea  of  hfe  in  the  heyday  of  the  Persian  Empire,  and 
the  characteristics  of  the  Persian  kings.  Remember  that  the 
Jews  were  taken  as  captives  to  Babylon  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 
The  Babylonian  Empire  was  conquered  by  Cyrus  the  Per- 
sian, and  at  the  time  of  our  lesson,  Artaxerxes  Longimanus, 
son  of  Xerxes,  was  the  king. 

Imagine  a  king  who  had  power  to  gather  forces  strong 
enough  to  intimidate  the  .Greeks — who,  when  thwarted  by 
the  inclemency  of  the  sea,  was  childish  and  superstitious 
enough  to  order  it  to  be  scourged  with  a  whip!  The  men 
who  were  commanded  to  discipline  the  unruly  waters  were 
charged  to  exclaim  these  words  which  the  king  himself  had 
dictated : 

"  Miserable  monster !  this  is  the  punishment  which  Xerxes, 
your  master,  inflicts  upon  you,  on  account  of  the  unpro- 
voked and  wanton  injury  you  have  done  him.  Be  assured 
that  he  will  pass  over  you,  whether  you  will  or  no.  He 
hates  and  defies  you." 

The  men  who  built  the  bridge  which  had  been  destroyed 
were  ordered  beheaded,  every  one. 

This  was  Xerxes,  the  father  of  Artaxerxes  the  king  whom 
Nehemiah  served.  The  manner  in  which  he  obtained  the 
throne  proved  that  it  was  in  a  measure,  "  like  father,  like 
son." 

Nehemiah  was  one  of  the  Jewish  captives,  the  son  of 
Hacaliah.  The  position  of  the  captives  was  not  intolerable 
at  this  time ;  although  their  power  was  limited,  they  could, 
by  reason  of  natural  ability  or  industry,  rise  to  eminence 
and  success.  Nehemiah  was  cupbearer  to  the  king,  and  from 
the  account,  he  must  have  been  more  or  less  of  a  favorite. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  305 

As  was  the  case  with  all  his  countrymen,  he  longed  for 
the  restoration  of  his  homeland ;  and,  being  a  man  of  cour- 
age and  especially  gifted  with  initiative,  he  formed  the  bold 
plan  of  appealing  to  the  king,  and  of  making  a  personal  visit 
to  the  home  of  his  fathers. 

What  we  desire  especially  to  bring  before  the  children  is 
the  constant  appeal  to  God  that  was  made  by  this  ardent 
man  with  a  plan.  It  seemed  as  if  his  plan  were  made 
with  God — he  talked  with  God  about  it.  He  even  entreated 
God  in  the  critical  moment  of  its  unfolding  before  the  king. 

Tun  Story 

Almost  always  Nehemiah  was  a  happy-looking  man  with  a 
smiling  face  and  eyes.  That  was  one  reason  why  the  king 
liked  him. 

And  why  shouldn't  he  be  happy  and  smiling  and  gay? 
Didn't  he  live  in  a  castle?  And  didn't  he  have  plenty  to 
eat,  even  dainties  from  the  king's  table  ?  And  didn't  he  have 
good  clothes  to  wear  as  befitted  one  of  the  king's  favored 
servants  ? 

His  work  was  not  so  very  hard,  either.  He  was  the  king's 
cupbearer — and  his  taster.  That  seems  an  odd  sort  of  busi- 
ness, doesn't  it? 

But  it  was  the  custom  in  that  land  for  the  king  to  have  his 
food  and  his  drink  tasted  in  his  presence,  to  be  sure  that  it 
was  quite  safe  for  him  to  eat  it. 

Now  this  country  was  not  really  Nehemiah's  own  coun- 
try. Many,  many  years  before,  his  people  had  been  con- 
quered and  brought  to  the  land  as  captives.  However,  they 
never  forgot  Jerusalem,  their  own  beautiful  city.  They  and 
their  children  and  their  grandchildren  loved  the  city  dearly. 

One  day  when  Nehemiah  was  somewhere  in  the  palace 
Shushan,  he  saw  some  strangers.  One  of  the  men  was  a 
brother  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  a  long  time,  because  he 
had  gone  to  Jerusalem  many  years  before.  He  and  his 
companions  had  just  come  back  to  Shushan. 

Nehemiah  could  not  ask  questions  about  the  dear  old 
place  fast  enough.  "  How  did  it  look,  brother  ?  Who  did 
you  see  there.  Hanani?" 

But  Hanani  had  a  sad  story  to  tell.  Nothing  was  right.* 
the  people  were  terribly  poor  and  distressed;  the  wall  was 


306  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

broken  down;  the  fine,  strong  old  gates  were  all  charred 
with  the  fire  where  the  soldiers  had  burned  them. 

After  that,  Nehemiah  did  not  seem  like  the  same  happy- 
hearted  man.  He  went  by  himself  and  wept.  He  could  not 
touch  the  food. 

Then  he  went  to  God  with  his  trouble.  He  prayed  a  long 
prayer,  and  his  words  were  something  like  this : 

"  O  God,  thou  art  strong  and  powerful ;  thou  keepest  thy 
promises  and  art  very  kind  to  those  who  love  and  obey  thee. 
Let  thine  ear  hear  me ;  listen  to  the  prayer  that  I  pray  before 
thee  day  and  night. 

*'  My  people  and  I  have  sinned  against  thee ;  we  confess 
to  thee  that  we  have  sinned.  Yea,  I  and  my  father's  house 
have  sinned.  We  have  not  kept  thy  commandments;  we 
have  broken  thy  rules. 

"  In  the  long-ago  days  of  Moses  thou  saidst  that  if  we 
disobeyed,  we  should  be  carried  away  from  our  homeland; 
that  we  should  be  scattered  amongst  other  people. 

"  But  thou  didst  also  say  that  if  we  should  return  to  thee, 
O  God,  and  if  we  should  keep  and  obey  thy  laws,  thou 
wouldst  bring  us  back  again. 

"  We  are  thy  people  who  have  come  back  to  thee.  O  God, 
hear  my  prayer.  Help  me  this  day.  Give  me  mercy  in  the 
sight  of  the  king." 

Now  presently  the  time  came  when  the  king  was  accus- 
tomed to  have  his  wine.  No  one  knew  just  what  kind  of 
humor  he  would  be  in  ;  he  might  be  very  pleasant  and  kindly  ; 
or  he  might  be  in  such  a  furious  temper  that  no  one  could 
please  him.  He  might  shout,  **  Off  with  his  head !  "  if 
Nehemiah  did  not  put  just  the  flavor  he  liked  in  his  cup 
of  wine. 

Nehemiah  carried  the  cup  daintily ;  he  tasted  it,  and 
handed  it  to  the  king.  But  his  face  was  sad;  his  eyes 
showed  that  he  had  been  weeping. 

The  king  looked  up  from  his  cup. 

"  Why  is  your  face  so  sad  ?  You  are  not  sick.  You  must 
have  some  trouble  in  your  heart,"  he  exclaimed. 

The  king  liked  a  smiHng  face;  it  was  no  small  thing  to 
have  a  sorry-looking  countenance  when  waiting  upon  this 
man. 

Nehemiah  trembled;  he  was  afraid.     He  bent  his  body; 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  307 

then  he  fell  to  his  knees ;  then  he  put  his  hands  and  his  face 
to  die  ground,  as  a  servant  must  when  speaking  to  this  king. 
u  [[y^  ^^'^  ^'^"^  ^^^^  forever,"  he  exclaimed.    Then  he  said : 

Why  should  not  my  face  be  sad?  The  city  where  my 
fathers  used  to  live  is  spoiled.  The  walls  are  down,  the 
gates  are  burned." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want  to  ask?  "  said  the  king. 

Nehemiah  spoke  to  God  quickly,  and  begged  for  his  help 
to  ask  the  kmg  m  just  the  right  way. 

Then  he  said,  "  If  it  please  the  king,  and  if  I  have  found 
favor,  let  me  go  to  Jerusalem  to  my  fathers'  city,  and  build 
It  up  again  !  " 

"How  long  will  the  journey  be?  When  will  you  come 
back  ?     asked  the  king. 

Nehemiah  told  him. 

Then  the  king  said  to  his  servant,  ''  Thou— mayest— go." 

God  was  listening  all  the  time  to  every  word  that  Nehe- 
miah spoke  to  him.    He  heard  all  his  prayers  and  answered. 

The  king  gave  Nehemiah  letters  to  pass  him  along  the 
way;  he  gave  him  timbers  to  help  with  the  building ;  he  gave 
him  captains  of  the  army  and  horsemen  to  help  to  take  care 
of  htm  on  his  journey.    And  he  reached  Jerusalem  in  safety. 

Suggestions  for  the  Dkvotionai,  Service 

A  READING  I.ESSON  EROM   THE  BI^ACKBOARD 

**  I  prayed  to  the  God  of  heaven."— Nehemiah  2:4b. 
"I   have   called    with    my   whole   heart;   answer   me     O 
Jehovah :  ' 

I  will  keep  thy  statutes. 
I  have  called  unto  thee ;  save  me." 

—Psalm  119:145,  146a. 
"  In  my  distress  I  cried  unto  Jehovah, 
And  he  answered  me." — Psalm  120:1. 


PRAYER 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 


308  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

A  VERSE  TO  LEARN 

God  is  in  heaven,  can  he  hear 

A  feeble  prayer  like  mine? 
Yes,   little   child,  thou   needst   not   fear, 

He  listeneth  to  thine. 

— Ann  Taylor. 


Gob  1[s  Hlwa^0  1Rear  IHs 


Eleanor  Smith 


1.  God      is       al  -  ways    near      me,        Hear  -  ing     what    I       say, 

2.  God      is        al  -  ways    near      me,        In         the      dark  -  est  night, 

3.  God      is       al  -  ways    near      me.       Though  so  young  and    small, 


-^J=i 


m 


3: 


* 


m^- 


r 

Know-in  g  all 
He  can  see 
Not       a    look 


f 


-j^ — '--^ 


my  thoughts  and  deeds.  All  my  work  and  play, 
me  just  as  well  As  by  morn  -  ing  light, 
or    word     or  thought,  But    God  knows  it       all. 

-I \ J— ..J— 


:^ 


:d= 


— ^- 


0 


From  "Songs  for  Little  Children,  for  the  Kinderpjartens  and  Primary  Schools,  Part  >i." 
Used  by  permission  of  tlie  Milton  Bradley  Co. 


Suggested  Activities 

Copy  these  words : 

"  Lord,  Teach  a  Little  Child  to  Pray." 
Urge  that  the  children  bring  the  little  friend  for  the  fol- 
lowing session,  also. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

HIS  DAY  IN  THE  COUNTRY 
John  6:1-14 
Memory  VeRvSIv 
"  I  will  hear  what  God  Jehovah  will  speak."— Psalm  85:8. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 
We  have  been  attempting  to  bring  to  the  Primary  pupil's 
understanding  ways  in  which  he,  a  little  child,  may  worship 
God.  We  gave  him,  in  the  preceding  lesson,  an  ideal  of  his 
peculiar  place  in  the  love  of  God,  picturing  that  scene  where 
Jesus  called  the  children  to  him,  and  talked  to  them. 

Let  us  now  draw  another  picture  of  the  little  lad  who 
followed  the  crowd  and  listened  to  Jesus  all  day  as  he  talked 
about  God,  and  gave  his  heavenlv  Father's  message.  Tell 
about  the  gift  that  the  little  boy  'so  gladly  gave,  and  what 
Jesus  did  with  the  simple  ofifering. 

Lesson  Setting    * 

It  was  April,  a.  d.  29,  a  little  before  the  passover  time. 
The  distressing  news  of  the  death  of  John  the  Baptist  at  the 
hand  of  Herod,  had  just  come  to  Jesus  and  his  disciples. 
Besides  this,  Jesus  and  his  followers  were  physically  tired 
on  account  of  the  Master's  great  amount  of  work  during  this 
Galilaean  ministry.  Jesus  proposed  that  they  leave  the  village 
of  Capernaum,  and  cross  over  the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  a  less 
populous  place.  This  would  be  restful,  and  also  would  take 
them  to  a  more  secluded  region  for  a  little  time. 

Accordingly  he  and  the  disciples  took  a  ship  and  sailed 
over  the  sea.  But  the  multitude,  who  now  were  wildly  en- 
thusiastic about  his  wonderful  healing  touch,  followed  him 
by  foot  round  the  side  of  the  sea.  A  study  of  the  accom- 
panying outline  map  will  show  how  this  was  done. 

309 


310 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


The  troubled  crowd,  groping  after  something,  they  scarcely 
knew  what,  soon  reached  the  sunny  spot  greening  up  with 
the  first  signs  of  spring.  Jesus  gave  up  his  hoHday  and 
talked  to  them  about  the  things  for  which  they  longed. 

The  hours  passed  as  they  listened,  and  at  last  the  crowd, 


Nap  of  ,  J, 


Cadara  % 


Scalo    ofMife 


unconscious  of  the  need  of  food,  became  faint  with  hunger, 
and  the  long  strain  of  attentive  listening.  Jesus  sympathized 
with  their  needs,  and  in  his  own  wonderful  way,  brought 
them  the  creature  comfort  they  required. 

We  will  follow  the  ''  little  lad  "  on  this  spring  day  when 
he  listened  to  Jesus. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  311 

The:  Story 

It  was  a  fine  spring  day,  and  a  little  boy  was  going  out 
into  the  country.  A  walk  in  the  country  is  sure  to  make 
you  hungry,  and  when  the  sun  is  overhead  and  it  is  noon- 
time, you  are  bound  to  be  ready  for  your  lunch. 

This  little  lad's  mother  knew  all  about  how  long  walks 
made  hungry  boys,  so  she  thought  to  herself,  "  I  will  pack 
up  a  good  lunch  for  him." 

She  took  a  nice  little  basket  and  put  five  loaves  of  bread 
in  it!  That  sounds  like  a  joke,  doesn't  it?  Five  loaves  of 
bread  for  one  Httle  boy!  But  it  was  not,  at  all,  for  the 
loaves  of  bread  in  that  far-away  land  of  Galilee  were  flat 
and  round,  something  like  big,  round  crackers ;  so  five  loaves, 
you  see,  were  not  too  much  for  a  boy  who  was  going  to  be 
very,  very  hungry. 

Besides  the  bread  she  put  two  little  fish  in  the  lunch  basket. 
The  fish  were  not  so  big,  either;  but  about  the  size  of  the 
sardines  which  your  mother  buys  in  little  tin  boxes. 

So  in  the  basket  were  five  loaves  and  two  fishes. 

Now  that  very  same  morning,  Jesus  had  planned  to  go 
into  the  country,  for  this  happened  in  the  time  when  Jesus 
lived  upon  earth. 

He  said  to  his  disciples :  "  Let  us  take  a  holiday.  It  is 
best  for  us  to  rest  a  while." 

Jesus  had  been  working  very  hard  curing  sick  people, 
making  blind  people  able  to  see  again,  helping  lame  people 
to  walk,  and  comforting  and  cheering  sad  people. 

The  city  where  Jesus  was  living  was  beside  a  beautiful, 
big,  blue  sea,  and  there  were  many  boats  moored  to  the  shore 
or  crossing  back  and  forth.  The  disciples  took  one  of  these 
boats,  and  soon  the  tired  Master  and  his  friends  were  en- 
joying the  cool  breezes  which  came  over  the  water.  They 
headed  toward  a  green,  grassy  spot  on  the  other  side  of 
the  sea. 

But  after  all  Jesus  was  not  to  have  a  holiday.  Presently 
the  people  who  had  been  listening  to  him  spied  the  little 
boat;  they  saw  just  where  it  was  heading.  They  began  to 
follow  along  the  edge  of  the  water. 

The  crowd  grew  bigger  and  bigger.  The  little  boy  saw 
the  crowd.  All  boys  like  a  crowd,  and  this  boy  hurried  up 
and  joined  it.    On  and  on  he  went  with  the  other  people. 


312  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

By  the  time  the  boat  reached  land,  the  crowd  had  reached 
the  place,  too.  When  Jesus  saw  how  much  they  wanted  to 
hear  him  talk  to  them,  he  gave  up  his  holiday.  He  forgot 
all  about  how  tired  he  was.  He  healed  a  great  many  sick 
people. 

Then  he  talked  to  them.  He  told  them  how  much  he  loved 
them;  how  much  God  loved  them. 

All  day  long  the  people  listened.  The  little  boy  in  the 
crowd  listened,  too.  The  people  forgot  when  dinner  time 
came ;  the  boy  even  forgot  the  lunch  which  his  mother  had 
given  him.     He  forgot  everything  while  listening  to  Jesus. 

Evening  came,  and  still  the  people  listened. 

Presently  one  of  the  disciples  said :  "  Master,  the  day  is 
gone.  There  is  nothing  to  eat  here.  Send  the  people  away 
that  they  may  go  to  the  village  and  buy  food  for  themselves." 

"  They  need  not  go  away,"  said  Jesus.  "  Give  ye  them 
to  eat." 

**  Why,  Master,  it  would  take  a  great  deal  of  bread  to  feed 
such  a  crowd,  even  to  give  very  little  to  each !  "  said  one 
man.  Then  another  man  said,  **  Two  hundred  shillings' 
worth  of  bread  would  not  be  enough." 

"  How  many  loaves  have  you  ?  "  asked  Jesus.  "  Go  and 
see." 

One  of  the  men,  Andrew,  soon  came  back  and  said: 
"  There  is  a  little  boy  here  who  has  five  loaves  and  two 
small  fishes.     But  what  are  they  among  so  many  ?  " 

But  when  the  little  boy  found  that  the  people  were  hungry, 
and  that  Jesus  had  need  of  his  lunch,  he  came  up  and  gave 
it  to  Jesus.  He  was  so  glad  to  be  able  to  do  something  to 
help. 

Jesus  said,  "  I\lake  the  people  sit  down."  Then  all  the 
crowd  sat  down  on  the  grass ;  there  were  five  thousand  men 
and  a  great  many  women  and  children.  They  sat  in  groups, 
and  their  gay-colored  dresses  made  the  field  look  as  if  it 
were  covered  with  flowers. 

Jesus  took  the  little  boy's  five  loaves  and  two  fishes.  He 
asked  a  blessing  over  the  food.  Then  he  began  to  break  the 
bread  and  fish  into  pieces,  and  gave  to  his  disciples  to  pass 
to  the  people.  In  some  wonderful  way  it  grew  more  and 
more  and  more;  the  himgry  people   ate  as  much  as   they 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  313 

wanted,  and  still  there  was  enough  to  go  round.  All  the 
great  crowd  ate  until  they  were  hungry  no  longer. 

When  the  meal  was  over  Jesus  said,  **  Gather  up  the 
pieces,"  for  he  did  not  wish  to  have  a  crumb  of  the  good 
food  wasted.  And  the  disciples  filled  TWELVE  BASKETS 
WITH  WHAT  REMAINED ! 

As  long  as  the  little  boy  lived  he  remembered  the  day  he 
listened  to  Jesus. 

Sugge:stions  for  thk  Dkvotionai,  Servici: 
a  reading  ll'sson  for  the  blackboard 
words  which  jesus  said 
"  Come  unto  me."— Matthew  11  :28. 

"  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me." — Luke  18:16. 
*'  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear." — Luke  8:8. 

SONGS 

"  I  Think  When  I  Read." 

"  Jesus,  Friend  of  Little  Children." 

PRAYER 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Suggested  Activities 
Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 
Cut  from  paper  or  draw  a  small  Oriental  ship. 


314  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

REVIEW 

Review  the  Stories  of  Chapters  30  to  33 

Memory  Verses 

Review  the  Memory  Verses  for  Chapters  30  to  33. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

The  two  themes  to  he  reviewed  are : 

SPEAKING  TO  GOD  IN  PRAYER 
HOW  ME  MAY  WORSHIP  GOD 

Opportunity  is  given  to  reemphasize  these  themes,  and  in 
a  way,  to  make  an  inspection  of  your  own  work.  This  may 
be  done  partly  by  asking  carefully  prepared  questions,  to 
draw  out  the  children's  thoughts  upon  the  different  lessons. 

Help  the  children  to  look  back  over  the  several  stories  told 
during  the  consideration  of  the  themes.  You  will,  in  all 
probability,  find  it  advisable  to  retell  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting to  your  special  class. 

Suggestions  are  given  for  the  review.  Continue  with 
other  lessons  in  a  manner  similar. 

Speaking  to  God  in  Prayer 
Draw  a  simple  picture  of  stones  representing  a  wall.  Ask 
the  children  to  tell  the  names  of  two  men  who-  often  thought 
about  the  walls  and  gates  of  a  city  that  had  been  broken 
down  and  burned.  They  loved  the  old  walls  and  gates. 
Why  ?  They  wanted  to  go  there.  Why  ?  Who  could  help 
them?  The  king  and  Some  One  greater  than  the  king. 
Dwell  upon  the  fact  that  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  spoke  to  God 
and  told  him  all  that  was  in  their  hearts ;  they  told  how  they 
were  answered  and  helped  by  God. 

Draw  a  picture  of  an  Oriental  house,  also  a  sketch  of 
Oriental  chains.  You  heard  a  story  about  a  man  who  was 
put  in  a  strong  prison,  and  about  how  soldiers  guarded  him. 
He  had  a  great  many  friends  who  loved  him.  They  met 
in  a  house  something  like  this.  What  were  they  doing? 
How  was  their  prayer  answered?     (Story  about  Peter.) 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


315 


Once  there  was   a  tent,   and  in   it  was  a  very   precious 
thing  made   of   gold.      It   was   something   Hke   a   box   and 


looked  something  like  this.  (See  cut.)  The  king  and  all 
his  people  loved  it.  What  was  it  called?  It  was  a  sign  of 
God's  nearness.  The  tent  was  God's  house.  The  king 
wanted  to  make  a  fine  house  for  God  because  he  himself 
lived  in  a  palace.  What  was  this  king's  name?  What  did 
he  do  about  the  building  of  God's  house? 


How  We^  May  Worship  God 

Refer  to  the  little  king  who  was  brought  up  in  God's 
house.  Speak  of  its  condition  What  did  he  do  to  make  it 
fresh  and  beautiful  again? 

Draw  a  picture  of  a  churcft. 


316  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Question  :  Can   you   think   of   some   ways   in   which   we 
may  worship  God  ? 

Sketch  several  moneybags. 


Let  some   child   tell  the  recently   told   story   of   how  the 
children  listened  to  Jesus  when  he  told  them  to  come  to  him. 

SUGGKSTIONS   FOR  TllK   DEVOTIONAL    SERVICE 

A  BLACKBOARD  READING  LESSON 
god's  PROMISES 

"  Hear,  O  my  people,  and  I  will  speak ;  .  .  . 
I  am  God,  even  thy  God." — Psalm  50:7. 

ANSWERS 

**  Thy  servant  heareth." — I  Samuel  3  :9. 
**  Come  and  hear,  all  ye  that  fear  God." — Psalm  66:16. 
"  I  will  hear  what  God  Jehovah  will  speak." — Psalm  85  :8. 
"  He  that  is  of  God  heareth  God's  words." — John  8 :47. 

jESUS'  PRAYER  TO  HIS  HEAVENLY  FATHER 

"  Father,  I  thank  thee  that  thou  heardest  me." 

—John  11:4L 

SONG 

"  Father  in  Heaven !     Bless  Thy  Little  Children,"  from 
"  The  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


317 


Suggestions  for  Activities 

Copy  one  or  more  of  the  Memory  Verses. 
Hunt   for  two  pretty  pictures   from   old   magazines  and 
bring  them  to  the  church  school  for  mounting  in  a  scrapbook. 


A  Puzzle  to  Soeve 


l^^^^^p^^ 

5 

SPEAK  NC 

2 

THEY 

3 

ARE 

6 

1 

1 

WHLE 

4 

YET 

8 

HEAR 

7 

WILL 

GOD'S  LOVING-KINDNESS 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

GOD'S  PROTECTING  CARE 

II  Chronicles  32:1-23;  (or)  Exodus  14:5-31 

(For  Exodus  story  see  textbook  ''  God  the  Eoving  Father," 
Chapter  VIL) 

Me:mory  Vkrsic 
"I  will  not  leave  thee." — Genesis  28:15b. 

The:  Te:ache:r's  Preparation 

A  choice  of  two  stories  will  be  given  for  this  lesson, 
either  of  which  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the  subject 
"  God's  Protecting  Care."  If  the  story  of  the  Crossing  of 
the  Red  Sea  is  chosen,  you  may  review  Chapter  VII  of  the 
First  Year  Textbook,  Part  I.  Use  the  Memory  Verse  and 
devotional  service  suggestions  for  to-day's  lesson. 

The  choice  is  taken  from  an  incident  in  King  Hezekiah's 
reign  over  Judah. 

In  the:  Days  of  Hkze:kiah 

Hezekiah  was  the  son  of  Ahaz,  King  of  Judah,  and  it  is 
recorded  that  he  began  his  reign  when  he  was  twenty-five 
years  of  age.  Hezekiah  loved  God  and  served  him.  This 
fact  was  more  to  the  credit  of  the  young  king  because  his 
father  had  spent  his  life  in  following  idols. 

Contemporary  with  both  Hezekiah  and  his  father  were 
the  prophets  Isaiah,  Hosea,  and  Micah.  Thus  both  had  equal 
opportunity  of  knowing  God's  will.  It  is  recorded  that  Heze- 
kiah "  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah,"  and 
even  in  the  first  years  of  his  reign  began  to  reestablish  the 
worship  of  God  amongst  his  people,  and  rebuild  the  Temple 
which  had  been  so  sadly  neglected.    He  inspired  his  subjects 

321 


322  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

with  enthusiasm  for  righting  the  wrongs  that  had  been  com- 
mitted against  God  during  the  long  years  of  his  father's 
reign,  and  at  the  end  of  the  period  devoted  to  reconstruc- 
tions, the  workers  repaired  tO'  the  king's  palace  with  the  re- 
port :  "  We  have  cleansed  all  the  house  of  Jehovah.  .  .  . 
Moreover  all  the  vessels,  which  king  Ahaz  in  his  reign  did 
cast  away  when  he  trespassed,  have  we  prepared  and  sancti- 
fied ;  and,  behold,  they  are  before  the  altar  of  Jehovah." 
Then  the  king  and  his  people  went  to  the  Temple  and  offered 
sacrifices  of  atonement. 

This  was  the  tenor  of  Hezekiah's  reign. 

At  this  time  Assyria  was  the  great  power  that  threatened 
the  other  countries  round  about.  Sargon  had  been  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  Sennacherib.  The  Assyrians  were  nature 
worshipers.  Every  object  in  nature  was  supposed  to  be 
animated  by  a  spirit.  Ashur  was  their  chief  god  ;  after  him 
there  were  eleven  great  gods,  and  innumerable  lesser  deities. 

From  reading  the  lesson  passage  and  adjacent  references, 
we  draw  the  information  that  Sennacherib  was  a  bombastic 
braggart.  He  was  cruel  toward  those  whom  he  conquered. 
Hezekiah  had  reason  to  be  terrified  when  he  learned  of  the 
approach  of  this  king  at  the  head  of  his  army. 

We  wish  to  show  by  the  telling  of  this  story  a  clear  picture 
of  God's  protecting  care  through  a  time  of  great  danger 
over  the  king  and  people  who  were  honestly  trying  to  serve 
him;  that  God  warded  off  danger,  and  made  the  right 
triumph. 

The  Story 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  good  king  named  Hezekiah 
who  ruled  over  the  land  of  Judah.  All  his  people  had  been 
living  happily  for  a  long  time.  Ever  since  this  king  had  been 
their  ruler,  they  had  been  happy,  because  they  had  been  busily 
making  their  big  city,  Jerusalem,  the  best  city  of  all  the  coun- 
try round  about  in  which  to  live. 

The  first  thing  that  the  king  and  his  people  did  after  he 
was  crowned  was  to  repair  the  beautiful  house  of  God  that 
had  begun  to  look  so  dirty  and  old  and  worn.  Even  the 
women  and  the  boys  and  the  girls  found  something  to  do. 

But  one  day  the  face  of  the  king  was  very  sober.  He  re- 
ceived a  message  that  was  enough  to  make  any  king  afraid. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  323 

The  bad  news  spread,  and  soon  the  faces  of  all  the  people, 
even  the  bravest,  looked  frightened. 

"  Sennacherib  is  coming !  ''  The  watchmen  on  the  walls 
told  the  news  first.  "  Sennacherib  is  coming !  "  The  word 
spread  like  a  flame  of  fire  from  house  to  house  through  all 
Jerusalem. 

Sennacherib  and  his  army!  Soldiers  with  daggers  and 
swords  !  Soldiers  with  bows  and  arrows  !  Soldiers  mounted 
on  the  fleetest  of  horses !  Soon  the  war  cry  would  be  heard 
close  at  the  city  gates ! 

It  was  no  wonder  that  good  King  Hezekiah  was  fright- 
ened. But  he  and  his  people  were  not  to  be  left  alone  to 
that  cruel  king.    Hezekiah  remembered  God. 

"  Be  strong  and  of  good  courage,  my  people,"  he  said. 
"  Let  us  not  be  afraid  of  the  king  of  Assyria  and  his  hosts. 
There  is  One  who  is  greater  than  he,  and  that  One  is  for  us 
and  not  for  him.     God  is  with  us." 

Senacherib  and  his  soldiers  did  not  believe  in  the  one  true 
God  whom  Hezekiah  and  his  people  loved.  They  prayed  to 
false  gods  who  had  no  power  to  help  or  hear  them  when 
they  worshiped. 

"  God  is  with  us !  He  will  help  us  fight  our  battles."  said 
King  Hezekiah  to  his  people,  and  they  listened  and  took 
courage. 

Then  the  king  called  the  princes  and  the  wise  men  of 
his  kingdom.     They  planned  together. 

"Let  us  get  to  work !  "  they  said  to  the  people. 

**  We  will  stop  all  the  waters  and  the  fountains  that  flow 
out  of  the  city,"  said  the  king.  ''  Sennacherib  and  his  soldiers 
shall  not  drink.    Why  should  they  ?  " 

Then  they  began  to  make  the  city  wall  very  strong  by 
mending  all  the  weak  places.  They  built  up  the  watchtowers. 
They  shut  the  gates  tight,  and  locked  them. 

Very  soon  the  people  were  making  weapons  as  hard  and 
fast  as  they  could  ;  shields  and  swords  and  daggers  and  bows 
and  arrows. 

"  Take  courage,"  comforted  the  king.  "  Be  not  afraid. 
Remember,  God  is  with  us.  God  will  protect  us.  God  will 
help  us !  " 

One  day  King  Sennacherib  sent  some  of  his  servants  from 
his  camp  with  a  message,  a  bold,  insulting  message : 


324  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

*'  Thus  saith  Sennacherib  !  "  these  servants  began.  "  How- 
ever do  you  suppose  you  are  going  to  stand  the  battle? 
Your  king  says,  '  God  will  help  us  and  keep  us  out  of  the 
hand  of  Sennacherib.'  If  you  do  as  King  Hezekiah  begs  you 
to  do,  you  will  only  die  of  hunger  and  thirst.  Your  God 
cannot  save  you. 

"  Do  you  not  know  what  I,  Sennacherib,  have  done  to 
other  lands  ?  Could  their  gods  help  them  ?  Was  there  any 
god  able  to  help  those  people  against  me  ?  No,  not  one ! 
Neither  can  your  God  protect  you. 

"  Do  not  let  your  King  Hezekiah  cheat  you.  Do  not  be- 
lieve him.  No  god  of  any  land  has  been  able  to  save  his 
people  from  me.  You  may  be  sure  then,  that  your  God  can- 
not save  you." 

So  boasted  the  king  and  his  servants ;  they  even  said  more. 

Sennacherib  also  sent  insulting  letters  to  King  Hezekiah, 
saying,  "  Just  as  other  gods  of  other  lands  could  not  keep 
their  people  out  of  my  hands,  so  your  God  cannot  keep  you 
and  your  people  out  of  my  hands." 

Then  the  soldiers  yelled  their  war  cries  at  the  people  shut 
up  in  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  to  frighten  and  trouble  them. 
They  made  day  and  night  hideous  with  their  noise.  They 
hoped  that  the  people  would  be  so  frightened  that  they  could 
easily  take  their  city  away  from  them. 

But  King  Hezekiah  still  prayed  to  God  for  protection ; 
Isaiah,  their  teacher,  prayed ;  the  people  prayed. 

That  night  God  sent  an  angel  into  Sennacherib's  camp 
amongst  the  soldiers  who  had  defied  him.  In  the  morning 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  those  bold  men  lay  dead  on  the 
field. 

The  wicked  king's  battle  never  was  fought,  and  he  ran 
away  back  to  his  own  country  again. 

So  God  took  care  of  King  Hezekiah  and  his  people,  and 
protected  them.  And  the  people  praised  and  thanked  him, 
and  gave  him  offerings  and  gifts. 

Suggestions  for  thi:  Devotional  Service 

a  bible  reading  lesson 

"  I  will  not  leave  thee." 

"  He  that  keepeth  thee  will  not  slumber." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  325 

"  He  careth  for  you." 

"  Jehovah  is  nigh  unto  all  them  that  call  upon  him." 

A    PROMISE 
God  will  take  care  of  you,  all  through  the  day; 

Jesus  is  near  you  to  keep  you  from  ill; 
Waking  or  resting,  at  work  or  at  play, 
Jesus  is  with  you  and  watching  you  still. 

— F.  R.  Havergal. 

SONG 

"  God  Sees  the  Little  Sparrow  Fall,"  from  ''  The  Primary 
and  Junior  Hymnal." 

PRAYKR 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Suggested  Activities 

Begin  the  making  of  a  class  scrapbook.  Have  some  defi- 
nite plan  for  its  disposal  when  completed.  A  scrapbook  of 
carefully  selected  and  beautifully  mounted  pictures  is  sure 
to  give  a  very  great  deal  of  pleasure  at  some  children's  home, 
or  to  some  shut-in. 

The  children  may  contribute  ])ictures  and  of  course  you 
yourself  are  always  on  the  lookout  for  good  pictures  for  the 
many  uses  in  your  class  work. 

It  will  often  be  possible  to  devote  a  few  minutes  to  *'  the 
making  of  the  book." 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

LITTLE  BHAU  (BROTHER) 
Mark  9:36,  37;  Psalm  91 :2-6,  10,  11,  15 
Memory  Verse 
"  He  will  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee." 

—Psalm  91:11a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 
We  have  been  helping  the  children  to  understand  some- 
thing of   "  God's   Loving-Kindness  "   toward   them.     God's 


326  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

loving-kindness  is  over  all  his  creatures ;  so  let  us  tell  to-day 
a  story  that  will  help  to  broaden  their  thoughts  from  self, 
showing  a  picture  of  the  needs  of  other  little  children  in 
other  lands. 

If  you  will  try  to  glean  stories  of  modern  instances  from 
mission  fields,  you  will  not  only  enrich  your  own  life,  but 
you  will  have  a  wonderfully  increased  store  of  good  things 
to  tell  to  your  pupils. 

A  most  beautiful  and  successful  mission  work  for  children 
is  the  Brownie  orphanages  of  India.  The  following  is  a 
little  incident  adapted  from  a  mission  letter  from  a  station 
in  West  India. 

The:  Story 

To  be  hungry  is  bad  enough !  To  be  hungry  and  to  have 
no  home  is  worse !  But  these  were  not  all  of  little  brother's 
troubles !  He  had  neither  father  nor  mother.  This  little 
brown  boy  of  India  was  an  orphan,  and  he  was  only  eight 
years  old. 

As  long  as  big  brother  was  with  him  even  those  troubles 
did  not  seem  so  dreadful  as  they  did  when  he  went  away  to 
find  work  in  another  town  because  of  the  famine ;  now  little 
brother  was  all  alone. 

In  a  land  where  there  is  plenty,  it  is  hard  to  understand 
just  what  a  famine  is  like.  It  means  that  food  grows  less 
and  less  even  for  the  rich  folk;  and  for  the  poor  it  means 
that  perhaps,  how  soon  they  do  not  know,  there  will  be  none 
at  all.    And  that  means  to  suffer  and  die. 

Little  brother's  face  was  growing  more  pinched  every  day. 
His  little,  ragged  shirt  hung  loosely  round  his  little,  thin 
body.     It  is  dreadful  to  be  as  hungry  as  he  was! 

He  had  said  his  prayers  to  the  idol  to  whom  his  father 
and  mother  had  prayed,  but  no  help  came.  He  was  growing 
more  lonely  and  more  hungry  and  more  ragged  every  day. 

In  some  way  he  had  heard  of  the  boys'  school  in  the  town 
several  miles  from  the  town  where  he  and  his  father  and 
mother  and  brother  had  lived. 

He  made  quite  a  brave  plan  for  an  eight-year-old  boy  to 
make :  he  decided  to  go  to  the  school  and  ask  to  be  taken  in. 

Little  brother  did  not  have  to  wait  a  minute  after  his  plan 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  327 

was  made;  he  did  not  have  even  a  coat  or  a  pair  of  shoes, 
not  even  a  book  or  a  toy  to  pack  and  take  along.  So  right 
away  he  began  trudging  over  the  long  road  toward  the  school. 

And  what  a  hot,  dusty  road  it  was !  The  sun  beat  down 
on  his  head,  and  his  little  brown  feet  grew  tired  and  sore, 
but  he  did  not  stop. 

He  did  not  know  that  God  our  heavenly  Father  was  watch- 
ing over  .him  all  the  way,  that  it  was  God  who  helped  him  to 
make  the  plan. 

The  sun  was  setting  red  behind  the  mountains  when  little 
brother  reached  the  end  of  his  journey.  What  a  beautiful 
place  it  was !  There  was  a  garden  with  flowers  behind  the 
fence.  Sahib,  the  teacher,  was  sitting  on  the  veranda.  It 
was  all  so  beautiful  and  restful  that  little  brother  forgot  his 
trouble  and  his  tired  feet,  and  smiled. 

He  opened  the  gate  and  walked  to  the  veranda. 

"  Here  I  am !  "  he  said  clearly. 

Sahib  smiled  kindly  at  the  tiny  brown  boy  who  looked  like 
a  small  ragamuffin  after  his  dusty  journey. 

"  Here  I  am !  I  have  no  father,  mother,  or  any  other 
relatives.  I've  walked  all  the  way  from  Takli.  I  begged 
scraps  along  the  way  to  eat.    Here  I  am !  " 

He  told  his  sad  little  story  cheerfully,  so  cheerfully  and 
bravely  that  Sahib  was  almost  afraid  he  was  telling  a  lie. 

*'  Where  did  you  say  you  came  from,  boy  ?  "  asked  Sahib 
kindly. 

"  From  Takli !  "  repeated  the  little  brown  fellow. 

"  And  your  father  and  mother  ?  Did  they  tell  you  to 
come  ?  "  asked  Sahib,  wondering  whether  he  would  tell  the 
same  story. 

"  They  are  dead,  both  dead." 

"  Why  did  you  come  ?  " 

"  I'm  hungry.     I've  no  place  to  go." 

That  was  true,  as  Sahib  could  see.  Yet  what  could  he  do? 
The  school  was  full,  not  another  bed  was  empty.  It  was 
hard,  so  hard  to  get  enough  to  feed  his  boys  even  three 
simple  meals  a  day. 

Of  course  he  let  the  little  lad  stay  there  for  the  night ;  he 
gave  the  child  something  to  eat ;  he  gave  him  a  new  little 
shirt  and  made  him  clean  and  comfortable.  This  was  what 
Sahib  had  come  to  India  to  do,  to  make  little  children  clean 


328  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

and  good  and  comfortable;  to  take  care  of  them  for  our 
heavenly  Father's  sake.     God  had  sent  him  to  do  this. 

The  next  day  he  asked  some  boys  who  lived  in  Takli  if 
the  little  brown  brother's  story  were  true.  It  was  true, 
every  word. 

"Yet  what  shall  I  do?  Yes,  there  is  one  thing  I  can  do." 
Sahib  remembered  the  home  that  some  other  of  the  good 
people  that  God  had  sent  were  keeping  for  just  such  poor 
little  waifs.    It  was  called  the  orphanage.    He  wrote  a  letter. 

The  answer  came :  "  Yes,  they  would  take  little  brother. 
They  would  take  care  of  him  during  the  famine ;  they  would 
feed  him  and  give  him  a  bed.  There  was  room  in  the 
orphanage  for  him." 

So  Sahib  sent  him  to  the  home,  and  little  brown  brother 
found  a  place  that  was  really  a  corner  of  God's  Kingdom 
of  heaven. 

SUGGKSTIONS  FOR  TllE   DEVOTIONAL   SKRVICE 
A  BLACKBOARD  READING  LESSON 

"  And  he  took  a  little  child,  and  set  him  in  the  midst  of 
them :  and  taking  him  in  his  arms,  he  said  unto  them,  Who- 
soever shall  receive  one  of  such  little  children  in  my  name, 
receiveth  me." 


"  He  shall  call  upon  mc,  and  1  will  answer  him ; 
I  will  be  with  him  in  trouble." 

SONG 

"  I  Think  When  I  Read  That  Sweet  Story  of  Old."  (First 
verse.) 

Write  the  fifth  verse  upon  the  board  and  read  it  or  let  the 
children  sing  it. 

"  But  thousands  and  thousands  who  wander  and  fall 
Never  hear  of  that  heavenly  home; 
I  should  like  them  to  know  there  is  room  for  them  all, 
And  that  Jesus  has  bid  them  to  come." 

PRAYER 
"  Heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  thy  loving-kindness 
toward  all  the  children  the  whole  world  over.    Amen." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  329 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse  or  the  last  verse  of  the  Bible 
reading  lesson. 

Interest  the  children  in  earning  a  few  pennies  during  the 
week  for  a  gift  to  children  in  some  special  mission  held.  A 
bit  of  work  for  the  scrapbook. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

GOD,  THE  FATHER,  AND  HIS  GIFTS 

Exodus  15:22,  27;  17:1-7;  Psalm  104:10-14;  Exodus  16:4, 
5,  13-18;  Ahirk  4:28,  29 

Memory  Verse 

"  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  (iod  with  all  thy  heart." 

—Matthew  22 :37a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Moses  and  his  followers  had  passed  over  the  Red  Sea  in 
safety,  had  sung  their  songs  of  thanksgiving,  had  praised 
God  for  their  wonderful  escape  from  their  life  of  bondage 
in  Egypt ;  they  were  now  actually  upon  their  journey  toward 
the  Promised  Land.  But  the  way  led  through  the  wilder- 
ness, where  food  and  water  were  scarce.  They  had  not  gone 
far  before  hunger  and  thirst  attacked  them ;  the  great  multi- 
tude became  almost  desperate  and  began  to  upbraid  Moses. 
"  Would  that  we  had  died  ...  in  the  land  of  Egypt,"  they 
cried,  as  they  remembered  the  plenty  which  had  been  theirs. 

But  God's  loving-kindness  was  over  and  round  about  them, 
and  the  manner  in  which  food  and  drink  were  furnished 
forms  our  story  for  to-day. 

The  Story 

Nowadays  if  they  had  been  going  on  such  a  long  journey, 
they  would  have  traveled  in  the  comfortable  seats  of  the 
steam  cars;  or  perhaps  in  a  splendid,  fast-running  automo- 


330  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

bile.  But  little  David  and  Rutfi  and  Samuel  and  Joseph  did 
not  travel  in  those  ways ;  the}-  walked. 

This  little  family  and  their  father  and  mother  and  a  great 
many,  many  other  fathers  and  mothers  with  their  children 
were  going  on  a  journey.  They  had  taken  everything  that 
they  owned  along  with  them,  because  they  never  were  going 
back  to  the  land  where  they  had  been  living.  They  were 
moving  to  another  homeland. 

They  had  a  great  many  bundles :  some  of  them  big  and 
queer-shaped ;  some  of  them  little  and  precious.  They  even 
had  taken  their  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  and  all  their  ani- 
mals along  with  them. 

When  the  day  was  over  they  would  sleep  in  tents  which 
the  fathers  set  up. 

It  was  fine  fun  at  first ;  David  hurried  his  sister  Ruth  and 
his  smaller  brother  Samuel  along.  Mother  carried  baby 
Joseph  in  her  arms.  Father  looked  after  the  flock  of  sheep. 
The  first  day  was  fine  fun. 

At  night  father  pitched  the  tent.  Mother  unrolled  some 
soft  rugs  and  spread  them  on  the  sand,  and  soon  four  tired 
little  people  were  fast  asleep  under  the  bright  desert  stars. 

They  woke  early  in  the  morning,  and  ate  breakfast.  It 
was  part  of  the  food  they  had  brought  along  with  them.  But 
it  was  growing  less,  now.  Mother  looked  quite  sober  as  she 
packed  up  what  was  left.  She  said  something  softly  to 
father,  and  he  looked  at  the  small  bundle. 

Walking  on  the  sand  makes  you  thirsty,  and  David  ran  to 
mother  and  said :  *'  Where  is  the  water  bottle,  mother  ?  I 
am  thirsty." 

"  Do  not  drink  very  much,  dear :  only  a  few  swallows," 
said  mother  as  she  gave  the  water  to  him. 

"  But  I  am  very  thirsty,  mother ;  very,  very  thirsty,"  said 
Ruth  who  generally  did  just  what  David  did,  and  said  just 
what  David  said. 

"  And  I  am  thirsty,  very,  very  thirsty,"  said  little  brother 
Samuel  who  could  not  talk  very  plainly  yet. 

"  Yes,  children,  but  we  will  drink  just  enough,  and  leave 
the  rest  for  another  time.  There,  that  is  all,  Joseph,  my 
little  one." 

The  children  ran  on  again,  but  the  sun  was  making  the 
sand  very  hot ;  and  soon  they  came  back  for  another  drink. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


331 


"Only  two  swallows  each,  dears.  No,  David  that  is 
enough !     Sister  Ruth  must  have  her  share." 

But  soon  there  came  a  time  when  every  drop  of  water 
was  gone,  every  drop ;  and  there  was  no  well,  no  brook  no 
sprmg  where  they  could  get  more. 

^^  "What  shall  we  do,   father?"  asked  mother  in  despair. 
"  The  children  are  crying  for  water !  " 

"What  shall  we  do,  mother?"  said  father.     "Even  the 
sheep  are  suffering ;  their  tongues  hang  from  their  mouths." 
"  And  the  lunch  is  almost  gone !    Our  children  will  starve 
or  else  they  will  die  of  thirst !  " 

Mother  began  to  cry ;  and  father  began  to  scold. 
Moses,  the  good  man  who  had  led  the  way,  was  doing  just 
as  God  had  told  him  to  do.  He  knew  that  God  would  take 
care  of  those  hungry  and  thirsty  people  in  some  way.  He 
knew  that  God  is  good  and  kind  and  loving.  He  would  not 
let  his  people  die  of  thirst  when  they  had  obeyed  him  by  go- 
ing into  the  wilderness. 

But  the  fathers  forgot  everything  else  but  the  sufferings 
of  their  children.  They  complained  and  grumbled  and 
scolded. 

"  We  might  better  have  stayed  in  Egypt,"  some  one  cried. 
"  My  David  and  my  little  Ruth  and  Samuel  and  the  baby 
will  all  die !  "  groaned  father. 

"  We  had  plenty  of  bread  and  meat  in  Egypt,"  grumbled 
an  old  man. 

"  Yes,  and  there  were  vegetables  and  fruits,  too,"  added 
a  woman. 

"  And  onions  and  leeks,"  said  a  man. 
And  the  juicy  melons :   oh,  the  sweet,  juicy  melons !  " 
sighed  another  woman. 

"  And  there  was  water !  "  said  a  young  girl. 

"  Water  !  Water  !  Water  !  "  everyone  began  to  cry. 

The  people  all  grew  so  cross  and  ugly  that  it  was  a  wonder 
that  Moses  could  think.  But  he  did  think;  and  he  prayed 
to  God  and  asked  him  what  to  do  with  the  tired,  hot,  hungry, 
thirsty  people. 

God  told  him  just  what  to  do  and  Moses  led  them  on. 
By  and  by  some  one  saw  a  green-looking  spot.  They  hur- 
ried to  it.     What  a  beautiful  place!     There  was   water! 


?>2>2  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Twelve  wells  of  sweet  water !  How  the  thirsty  people  ran ! 
The  green  trees  made  a  pleasant  shade. 

After  a  while  they  went  on.  The  sands  were  hot.  Their 
feet  grew  tired.  They  were  still  hungry.  Then  they  began 
to  grumble  again.  "  We  might  better  have  stayed  in  Egypt. 
We  had  plenty  of  meat  and  bread.    We  shall  starve !  " 

Moses  prayed  to  God,  and  God  answered :  "  I  will  feed 
this  people.  They  shall  not  die  of  hunger.  I  will  take  care 
of  them.  I  will  rain  bread  from  heaven  for  you.  The 
people  shall  go  out  and  gather  it  every  day.  On  the  sixth 
day  they  shall  gather  twice  as  much  as  on  any  other  day  of 
the  week.    There  will  be  none  to  gather  on  the  Sabbath." 

The  next  morning  when  the  people  got  up,  the  ground  was 
covered  with  strange,  small,  white  things.  The  people  did 
not  know  what  these  things  were. 

Moses  knew.  He  said :  "  This  is  the  bread  which  God  has 
rained  down  from  heaven  for  you.  Gather  what  you  need. 
Every  morning  you  shall  have  a  new  supply." 

The  mothers  took  bowls  and  gathered  some  of  the  new 
food ;  David  and  Ruth  and  the  other  children  gathered  some. 
The  people  thought,  as  they  ate,  "  How  good  God  is  to  feed 
us  when  we  were  so  hungry !  "  They  called  the  strange  new 
food  "  manna." 


SUGGKSTIONS  FOR  TIIIC   DivVOTlONAL   SERVICER 
A  BIBLE  READING  LESSON 

He  sendeth  forth  springs  into  the  valleys ;  .  .  . 
They  give  drink  to  every  beast  of  the  field ;  .  .  . 
He  causeth  the  grass  to  grow  for  the  cattle, 
And  herb  for  the  service  of  man ; 
That  he  may  bring  forth  food  out  of  the  earth.'' 

— Selections  from  Psalm  104. 


Oh  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord  ;  for  he  is  good ;  .  .  . 

Who  giveth  food  to  all  flesh  ; 

For  Ms  lovingkindness  endureth  for  ever." 

—Psalm  136:1,25. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  333 

PRAYERS 

Heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  thy  loving-kindness; 
we  thank  thee  for  the  gifts  of  food  and  drink,  for  without 
these  gifts  we  cannot  live.    Amen. 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 


SONG 

"  Thanks  for  Daily  Blessings,"  from  "  Song  Stories  for 
the  Sunday  School." 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse  or  one  of  the  verses  of  the  read- 
ing lesson.  Use  a  sand  table  to  illustrate  phases  of  the 
journey.  A  sand  tabic  such  as  is  furnished  by  the  educa- 
tional supply  houses  is  an  excellent  piece  of  property.  If 
this  is  not  to  be  had,  you  may  manufacture  one  from  a  large- 
size  baking  tin.  You  may  find  small  objects  to  add  at  the 
five-and-ten-cent  stores. 


Blackboard  Decoration 


334  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

SOME  OTHER  GOOD  GIFTS  FROM  GOD 

Psalm  136:1-9,  25 

Memory  Vkrsk 

"  Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above, 
coming  down  from  the  Father." — James  1 :17. 

Tiiic  Teacher's  Preparation 

When  we  develop  the  thought  that  our  good  gifts  are 
from  God  our  heavenly  Father,  we  naturally  talk  to  the  chil- 
dren of  those  gifts  of  prime  necessity,  food  and  drink,  and 
we  illustrate,  of  course,  with  the  beautiful  story  of  God's 
loving  provision  for  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  giving  them  water  from  the  rocks  and  in  the  wells 
of  the  oases  ;  and  by  sending  them  food  in  the  form  of  manna 
and  by  an  occasional  flight  of  quail. 

But  God's  gifts  are  boundless;  do  not  let  the  children,  by 
any  chance,  draw  the  conclusion  that  food  and  drink  are  all 
that  God  gives.  We  should  remember  that  the  Primary 
child  is  often  intensely  literal. 

Tell  him  something  of  the  gift  of  coal  which  is  so  neces- 
sary during  the  cold  of  winter,  and  how  that  gift  is  found. 

Tell  him  about  the  gift  of  iron,  and  lead  him  to  think  for 
himself  how  many  things  are  made  from  that  gift;  stoves, 
pipes,  machinery,  and  so  forth. 

Talk  of  the  gifts  which  give  pleasure:  gold,  silver,  and 
what  is  made  from  them. 

Tell  of  the  gifts  of  the  precious  stones. 

Tell  of  the  gifts  of  medicines,  such  as  the  medicinal  barks 
and  herbs.  A  most  interesting  story  can  be  made  about  the 
discovery  of  the  medicine,  quinine. 

These  are  but  suggestions ;  many  other  gifts  may  be  con- 
sidered, and  a  lesson  of  intense  interest  prepared. 

Lesson  Preparation 

Ask  the  children  to  name  two  gifts  that  God  gave  the 
children  of  Israel  when  they  were  on  their  journey  through 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  335 

the  wilderness.  Dwell  for  a  few  minutes  upon  the  fact  that 
these  gifts  are  given  to  us,  also,  by  God. 

The  water  is  not  just  from  the  faucet,  or  just  from  the 
pump  as  some  little  children  think,  but  from  the  under- 
ground streams  and  springs,  from  the  rain ;  and  these  are 
God-given. 

Fruit  and  vegetables  are  not  merely  bought  from  the  green- 
grocer's store  or  from  the  market,  but  grow  in  the  ground ; 
and  growth  depends  upon  the  rain  and  sunshine  which  are 
sent  by  God. 

Remind  the  children  that  there  are  many  other  gifts.  How 
do  we  keep  warm  in  winter  time?  (Coal.)  Do  you  know 
where  the  coal  comes  from  ? 

TiiK  Story  of  Coal 

Ages  and  ages  ago  our  earth  looked  very  different  from 
the  country  we  know  to-day,  and  our  cities  with  their  houses 
and  stores  and  busy  streets. 

Some  parts  of  the  earth  were  covered  with  great  forests 
of  trees,  greater  than  any  trees  you  or  I  ever  saw.  There 
were  also  ferns  as  tall  as  trees;  and  plants,  plants,  plants 
were  everywhere. 

God  was  working  in  that  long,  long-ago  time ;  he  had  a 
plan  for  the  people  who  are  living  to-day.  After  a  while  the 
tall  trees  and  the  ferns  and  the  plants  died.  Water  and 
earth  were  washed  over  them,  and  other  plants  grew  on  top. 
They  died ;  water  and  earth  were  washed  over  them.  Again 
other  plants  grew.  The  same  thing  happened  over  and  over 
again. 

These  trees  and  ferns  and  plants  were  pressed  down  hard 
under  the  earth.  With  the  heat  and  the  weight,  something 
very  strange  and  wonderful  happened.  The  trees  and  plants 
were  turned  to  coal,  the  very  coal  that  we  are  burning  to-day ! 

People  find  this  gift  from  God,  away  deep  down  in  the 
earth. 

In  some  parts  of  our  country  great  holes  are  dug  in  the 
ground,  and  men  called  miners  go  down  with  shovels  and 
picks  and  little  lanterns  fastened  on  their  caps,  so  that  they 
can  see.    They  pick  and  pick  and  pick. 

Mules  are  let  down  in  the  elevators  in  the  holes  to  carry 


336  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

the  loads.     Cars  are  loaded  widi  the  coal  and  sent  all  over 
the  country. 

And  by  and  by  your  coal  bin  and  mine  are  fdled  with  coal 
to  keep  us  warm  in  winter  time. 

Another  Story  of  a  Gift  from  God 
thf  mkdicine  quinink 

Away  up  on  the  slope  of  the  mountains  in  South  America, 
in  the  country  of  Peru,  deep  in  the  forests  where  it  is  hard 
to  climb  and  to  travel,  a  certain  kind  of  tree  grows. 

These  trees  were  growing  there  when  only  the  Indians 
lived  in  all  America;  they  had  been  growing  there  no  one 
knows  how  long  except  God,  for  it  was  he  who  planted  them. 

They  were  beautiful  trees  with  evergreen  leaves,  and  when 
blossom-time  came,  the  air  was  sweet  with  the  fragrance  of 
their  flowers,  which  looked  something  like  the  lilac  blossoms 
which  you  like  to  gather  in  the  spring.  Year  after  year  the 
trees  grew  and  blossomed.  No  one  knew  that  God  had 
planted  them  for  a  wonderful  purpose,  and  that  by  and  by 
they  would  be  of  use  to  thousands  of  people  in  the  world, 
and  help  in  many  cases  of  illness. 

After  a  while  the  white  men  found  America,  the  beautiful 
land  which  has  become  our  home.  But  at  first,  as  you  know, 
America  was  the  home  of  the  Indian,  and  it  was  very  hard 
for  the  white  men  to  live  in  the  wild  country  of  forests  and 
fierce  animals  and  Indians  who  feared  and  hated  strangers. 

But  even  at  that  time  when  so  few  white  men  lived  in 
either  North  or  South  America,  there  were  good  men  who 
wanted  to  tell  the  story  of  God  and  of  Jesus  to  the  Indians. 

There  was  a  missionary  who  had  been  trying  to  tell  this 
message.  One  summer  he  became  miserably  ill.  He  had 
the  ague ;  sometimes  he  would  have  a  chill  and  would  shake 
with  the  cold,  then  he  would  burn  with  fever.  Day  after  day 
and  week  after  week  he  suffered.  Each  chill  was  longer  than 
that  which  had  come  before,  and  each  fever  hotter,  and  at 
last  it  seemed  as  if  he  would  die. 

Now  there  was  an  Indian  who  had  found  out  a  wonderful 
secret  about  those  trees  that  grew  up  on  the  mountains,  away 
amongst  the  deep  forests,  the  trees  that  had  been  planted 
by  God. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  3Z7 

This  Indian  had  learned  that  they  were  medicine  trees; 
their  bark  was  good  for  fever  and  ague. 

How  he  learned  the  secret  I  do  not  know,  for  the  taste  of 
the  bark  is  bitter  and  unpleasant.  Perhaps  the  Indian  had 
begun  to  love  the  gentle  stranger  who  had  come  with  the 
message;  perhaps  the  message  had  touched  his  heart,  and 
perhaps  it  had  made  him  kinder  when  he  saw  suffering. 

At  any  rate  he  came  to  the  poor  sick  man  and  gave  him 
a  drink  of  tea  that  was  made  of  the  bark  of  the  wonderful 
medicine  tree. 

How  bitter  it  was !  But  the  sick  man  took  it,  and  soon 
the  fever  and  ague  left  him ;  strength  came  back,  and  in  time 
he  was  well  again. 

Ever  since  that  time  doctors  know  what  to  do  when  they 
are  called  to  see  some  one  who  is  ill  of  the  same  disease  from 
which  the  sick  man  was  suffering. 

It  is  the  medicine  called  quinine.  God  gave  the  gift  be- 
cause of  his  loving-kindness. 

SUGGKSTIONS   FOR   THK   DEVOTIONAL    SERVICE; 
A  BIBLE  READING   LESSON 

"  Oh  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah  ;  for  he  is  good ; 
For  his  lovingkindncss  endurcth  for  ever. 
Oh  give  thanks  unto  the  God  of  gods  ; 
For  his  lovingkindncss  endureth  for  ever.  .  .  , 
Who  giveth  food  to  all  flesh  ; 
For  his  lovingkindncss  endurcth  for  ever." 

—Psalm  136. 

"Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above, 
coming  down  from  the  Father." — James  1  :17. 

"  Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul, 
And  forget  not  all  his  benefits." — Psalm  103  :2. 


PRAYERS 

Heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  all  the  gifts  thou 
sendest  us:  gifts  of  food  and  drink;  gifts  of  beauty;  every- 
thing that  makes  this  earth  a  wonderful  home.    Amen. 

The  Lord's  Prayer. 


338  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SONGS 

"  Doxology." 

"All  Things  Beautiful  and  Fair,"  from  "The  Primary 
and  Junior  Hymnal." 

Suggested  Activities 

Have  at  hand  a  box  of  pictures  that  you  have  gathered. 
Let  the  pupils  select  pictures  that  represent  the  gifts  about 
which  they  have  been  learning.  Cut  these  out  and  mount 
them.  Underneath  the  pictures  let  them  copy  the  Memory 
Verse.  Fasten  the  mounted  pictures  together  in  the  form  of 
a  class  booklet. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

GOD'S  BEST  GIFT  TO  THE  WORLD  (MISSIONARY 
LESSON) 

John  10:11-15,27-29 

Memory  Vkrsic 

"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son." — John  3  :16a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

It  has  been  said  that  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sights  in  the 
Orient  is  a  flock  of  sheep  on  a  line,  starlight  night,  out  in 
the  fields  at  pasture.  It  is  the  custom,  we  are  told,  for  the 
shepherds  to  lead  their  flocks  out  near  sundown.  The  sheep 
nibble  the  soft,  green  grass  while  the  little  lambs  gambol 
about;  the  faithful  shepherd  dogs  are  in  evidence,  while  the 
shepherd  watches  over  all. 

Ever  since  the  time  of  Abel,  sheep  have  meant  a  very 
great  deal  to  the  dwellers  in  Palestine :  the  useful  animals 
furnish  much  of  the  clothing  and  food ;  from  the  earliest 
times  they  held  an  essential  position  in  the  religious  cere- 
monies of  Israel ;  they  formed  a  large  part  of  the  wealth  of 
the  land. 

Sheep  are  the  meekest  and  most  lovable  of  animals,  and 
tlie  shepherd  became  greatly  attached  to  his  flock.  He  knew 
them  apart,  and  called  them  by  name ;  he  was  able  to  control 
them  with  his  voice. 

The  sheep  knew  their  shepherd,  too,  and  loved  him  and 
obeyed  him.  They  would  come  when  he  called  them.  It  is 
said  that  they  have  been  known  to  obey  his  voice  even  when 
in  the  act  of  obtaining  a  coveted  drink  of  water. 

The  life  of  a  shepherd  was  lonely  and  sometimes  full  of 
peril.     There  were  times  when  he  must  ward  off  and  even 

339 


340  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

fight  wild  animals,  such  as  the  wolf  and  the  bear.  Robbers, 
too,  often  attacked  the  flock,  so  it  was  eminently  important 
for  the  shepherd  and  his  faithful  dogs  to  be  on  the  alert. 

The  winter  season  was  cold  and  trying,  and  the  shepherd 
sat  huddled  up  in  his  heavy  coat,  sometimes  when  the  ground 
was  covered  with  snow,  trying  to  keep  awake,  constantly 
watchful. 

He  carried  a  knife  and  a  short,  stout  stick  in  his  belt. 
He  had  also  a  long  crook  which  he  had  probably  made  from 
a  branch  of  an  olive  tree.  It  was  curved  at  the  end  and  was 
used  to  curb  the  sheep  and  lambs  if  they  ran  too  far  from 
the  flock.  He  had  a  sling  shot,  and  often  a  simple  sort  of 
musical  instrument.  David's  word  picture  in  the  Twenty- 
third  Psalm  is  a  faithful  portrait  of  the  shepherd  in  his  day, 
and  during  the  time  of  Christ,  as  well  as  in  modern  times  in 
Palestine. 

jesus  loved  this  sight  always  to  be  seen  out  in  the  fields 
of  Judea,  and  he  told  some  of  his  most  beautiful  stories,  and 
made  some  of  his  most  striking  similes,  by  means  of  his 
references  to  the  shepherd  and  his  sheep. 

Use  the  Twenty-third  Psalm  with  this  lesson.  Some  of 
your  pupils  may  know  it.  Teach  as  much  of  it  as  you  can 
during  this  and  several  following  lessons. 

Have  at  hand  some  large  pictures  of  sheep.  Attractive 
pictures  in  colors  may  be  found  in  some  of  th?  large-sized 
"  first "  books  for  very  little  children.  Perhaps  you  may  be 
able  to  make  a  simple  sketch  upon  the  blackboard. 

Remember  that  some  of  your  pupils  may  never  have  seen 
a  sheep,  and  may  not  know  the  animal.  If  this  should  be  the 
case  your  story  will  never  reach  home  unless  your  prelimi- 
nary explanations  are  thorough. 

Thk  Story 

There  were  a  great  many  sheep  in  the  land  where  Jesus 
lived. 

Sheep  live  on  green  grass  and  drink  fresh,  cool  water. 
They  wander  over  the  hillside  and  through  the  meadows 
and  valleys  in  search  of  grass  and  water. 

But  they  never  wander  alone.  That  would  not  be  safe, 
because  they  cannot  take  care  of  themselves.  Little  lambs 
and  sheep  are  the  gentlest  animals  that  live. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  341 

In  that  far  country  where  Jesus  Hvecl,  a  shepherd  always 
goes  with  his  sheep.  He  walks  first  and  leads  them.  They 
follow. 

The  shepherd  looks  out  for  wild  beasts  that  may  be  hiding 
in  the  bushes  or  behind  rocks.  He  is  ready  to  fight  for  his 
sheep,  if  need  be. 

He  carries  a  big  club  in  his  belt.  He  has  also  a  sharp 
knife  and  a  sling  shot  with  stones.  He  can  shoot  very 
straight  with  his  sling  shot. 

Sometimes  robbers  hide  in  caves  or  in  the  dark  shadows, 
ready  to  steal  the  sheep.  These  bad  men  are  often  wicked 
enough  to  kill  the  shepherd  in  order  to  steal  the  sheep. 

But  the  shepherd  is  ready  to  risk  his  life  for  the  sake  of 
his  sheep. 

The  shepherd  loves  his  sheep.  He  knows  every  one  of 
them.    He  calls  them  by  name. 

Sometimes  he  will  call,  "  Ho,  Black-foot!  "  and  that  little 
sheep  will  leave  the  flock  and  come  hurrying  to  his  side. 

Sometimes  he  will  call,  "  Come,  Beauty  !  "  and  that  little 
sheep  will  run  to  him. 

Again  he  will  call,  "  Mother  sheep !  "  and  a  kind  old 
mother  sheep  will  leave  all  the  others  to  go  to  her  shepherd. 

A  sheep  will  stop  its  drinking  to  run  when  the  shepherd 
calls. 

They  would  not  come  if  you  called;  they  would  not  come 
if  I  should  call.  Even  if  you  should  put  the  shepherd's  coat 
about  you,  the  sheep  would  not  come.  They  probably  would 
run  away  quite  frightened. 

The  shepherd  leads  his  sheep  to  the  greenest  pastures  he 
can  find ;  he  takes  them  to  the  coolest  brooks  and  wells  and 
springs. 

When  they  bruise  their  tender  little  feet  upon  the  stones  or 
briers  and  they  bleed,  he  pours  oil  in  the  hurt  places  and 
binds  them  up. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  the  sheep  love  their  shepherd,  for  he 
is  kind  and  good  and  loves  them  very  dearly. 

Jesus  often  saw  the  sheep  on  the  hillsides  with  their 
shepherds. 

One  day  he  said :  "  I  am  the  good  shepherd :  the  good 
shepherd  layeth  down  his  life  for  the  sheep.  .  .  . 

I  know  mine  own,  and  mine  own  know  me,  .  .  . 


342  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they  fol-. 
low  me ;  and  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life ;  .  .  . 

My  Father,  who  hath  given  them  unto  me,  is  greater  than 
all." 

Jesus  meant  that  the  people  of  the  world  are  his  sheep. 
He  came  to  help  them.     He  loves  them. 

He  loved  them  so  dearly  that  he  was  willing  to  lay  down 
his  life  for  them. 

And  one  day  he  did  give  up  his  life  for  his  sheep — his 
people. 

Give  a  missionary  touch  to  this  lesson  by  emphasizing  the 
fact  that  Jesus  includes  all  people,  in  every  land  in  his  flock 
and  amongst  his  sheep.  The  following  lesson  story  for 
Sunday  will  help  to  develop  the  thought  a  step  further. 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotionai,  Service 

A  BLACKBOARD  READING   LESSON 
SOME  WORDS  THAT  JESUS  SPOKE 

"  I  am  the  good  shepherd :  the  good  shepherd  layeth  down 
his  life  for  the  sheep.  .  .  . 

My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they 
follow  me."— Jo^'in  \6:\l,  27. 

"  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd ;  I  shall  not  want. 
He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures :  he  leadeth 
me  beside  the  still  waters." — Psalm  23:1,  2. 
Read   all  the  Twenty-third   Psalm,   commenting  upon   it 
broadly. 

SONGS 

"  Saviour.  Like  a  Shepherd  Lead  Us." 
"  Jesus,  Tender  Shepherd." 

PRAYER 

Heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  sending  Jesus,  thy 
Son  to  earth.     He  is  our  best  Gift  from  thee.     Help  us  to 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  343 

follow  him  willingly  and  gladly,  just  as  the  willing  sheep 
follow  their  shepherd.    Amen. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  first  verse  of  the  Blackboard  Reading  Lesson. 

Give  out  typewritten  portions  of  the  Twenty-third  Psalm 
to  be  learned  at  home  and  recited  at  the  next  school  session. 
Some  reward  or  recognition  may  be  given  for  this  work. 
We  all  like  rewards ;  this  is  natural,  and  the  teacher  should 
not  forget  this  phase  of  human  nature. 

Draw  childlike  pictures  of  a  shepherd  and  sheep. 

Set  up  a  flock  of  sheep  with  the  shepherd  and  dogs  and  all 
that  you  are  able  to  represent  of  this  side  of  Oriental  life  on 
the  sand  table. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

OTHER  SHEEP 

John  10:16;  Isaiah  49:6b;  56:7,  8;  John  21:15-17 

Memory  Verse 

"  Feed  my  sheep." — John  21  :17d. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Throughout  the  Bible  there  are  references  showing  the  all- 
pervading  character  of  God's  love,  and  the  universality  of 
Christ's  invitation.  "  My  house  shall  be  called  a  house  of 
prayer  for  all  peoples,"  we  read  in  Isaiah ;  and  "  Come  unto 
me,  all  "  we  remember  that  the  invitation  runs. 


344  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

There  is  also  the  direct  instruction  given  as  to  how  the 
invitation  is  to  be  given.    "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world." 

These  thoughts  are  elastic  in  their  interpretation,  and  can 
be  made  understandable  to  even  the  very  little  folk,  if  we  try. 

Let  us  give  them  from  time  to  time  pictures  of  other  chil- 
dren of  other  lands,  who  need  both  help  and  teaching. 

The  following  story  is  adapted  from  a  station  letter  from 
Chiengmai,  Siam,  American  Presbyterian  Mission. 

The  Story 

It  was  nighttime,  and  the  lamp  was  burning  in  Teng's 
home.  It  was  a  very  tiny  home;  in  fact  it  was  just  a  hut  in 
the  old,  far-away  country  of  Siam ;  for  Teng's  mother  was  a 
widow,  and  very,  very  poor. 

Just  how  it  happened  neither  Teng  nor  his  brother  nor  his 
mother  ever  could  tell,  for  it  was  all  over  in  a  minute. 
There  was  a  crash,  then  a  flare  of  fire,  and  then  a  scream, 
oh,  such  a  scream  of  pain ! 

The  lamp  had  been  overturned,  and  had  fallen  upon  little 
Teng. 

Mother  beat  out  the  flames ;  then  she  took  her  little  boy 
in  her  arms.  Oh,  how  he  cried  and  moaned !  The  great, 
angry,  red  burn  on  his  leg  told  the  story. 

If  it  had  been  only  a  little  burn  mother  would  have  known 
what  to  do.  But  such  a  burn  as  that !  Her  heart  turned 
sick  and  brother  covered  his  bright,  black  eyes  with  his 
hands. 

*'  Oh,  oh,  oh !  "  moaned  Teng  all  night  long.  Some  of  the 
time  he  talked  so  strangely  that  mother  knew  he  did  not 
know  what  he  was  saying. 

She  called  the  spirit  doctors  who  lived  in  the  town,  and 
they  tried  to  cure  the  sore.  But  it  grew  worse  instead  of 
better,  and  they  hurt  Teng  so  that  he  would  scream  when- 
ever they  came  near  him. 

As  the  time  passed,  he  sat  day  after  day  with  his  legs 
doubled  up  under  him. 

By  and  by  he  could  not  straighten  out  even  the  well  leg. 
His  heels  touched  his  thighs.  His  burned  leg  was  all  one 
terrible  sore. 

He  grew  thinner  and  thinner  until  he  was  like  a  little 
skeleton. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONvS  345 

One  day  a  neighbor  said  to  his  mother,  "  I  think  I  know 
some  one  who  can  help  your  boy." 

Mother  asked  a  great  many  questions.  This  neighbor  had 
been  going  to  the  Christian  school,  and  mother  did  not  be- 
lieve in  the  school  or  in  the  teachers. 

"  But  my  little  Teng — if  something  can  be  done  for  him !  " 
she  thought. 

"  Let  the  doctor  of  the  school  come  to  visit  him,"  coaxed 
the  neighbor.    ''  Let  him  come.    He  is  a  good  doctor." 

At  last  mother  said  he  might  come,  and  one  day,  when  the 
doctor  made  a  visit  to  the  town,  the  good  neighbor  brought 
him  to  see  Teng. 

How  kind  he  was !  How  sorry  he  was  for  the  poor  little 
sufferer !    How  gently,  very  gently,  he  touched  the  poor  leg ! 

"  He  will  have  to  go  to  my  hospital.  I  can  take  care  of 
him  better  there,"  said  the  doctor. 

So  they  made  a  sort  of  hammock,  and  hung  it  over  a  long 
pole.     Two  men  carried  him. 

For  four  months  he  stayed  in  the  hospital,  and  every  day 
the  doctor  and  good  nurses  cared  for  him. 

They  poured  soothing  medicines  upon  the  sore ;  they  bound 
up  the  leg  with  soft  bandages. 

Slowly,  gradually,  the  crooked  leg  began  to  straighten. 
Little  by  little  the  look  of  pain  disappeared  from  Teng's  face. 

The  nurse  gave  him  such  good  things  to  eat !  Never  be- 
fore had  Teng  had  all  he  wanted  to  eat. 

After  a  while  the  hollow  places  in  his  cheeks  began  to  fill, 
and  his  body  began  to  look  a  little  less  like  a  skeleton. 

There  was  one  time  of  the  day  that  Teng  liked  as  well  as 
mealtime ;  that  was  story  time — the  time  when  the  teacher 
told  him  stories  from  the  book  which  she  called  the  Bible. 

One  day  Teng's  mother  came  to  see  him.  She  expected  to 
see  a  poor,  little  thin  child  sitting  with  his  legs  under  him. 

Instead,  a  little  boy  came  running  to  meet  her.  He  was 
a  happy-faced,  smiling  boy;  his  bright,  brown  eyes  had  a 
merry  twinkle. 

**  Why,  why,  is  this  my  Teng?  "  cried  his  mother. 

Teng  laughed  and  threw  his  arms  round  her.  Then  she 
knew. 

He  showed  her  a  book  and  how  he  was  beginning  to  read ; 
he  told  her  about  the  Jesus'  stories. 


346  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  My  leg  is  almost  well,  mother,"  and  he  showed  the  heal- 
ing wound. 

"  I  am  going  to  school  to  learn  about  Jesus.  The  teacher 
has  come  here  to  tell  us  about  him." 

Of  course  mother  let  him  stay,  and  teacher  made  him 
some  new  clothes.  She  gave  him  a  slate  and  a  pencil  and 
a  book. 

Teng  went  to  school  and  learned  more  and  more  about 
Jesus.  Now  he  believes  in  Jesus  and  loves  him  with  his 
whole  heart.  He  is  one  of  the  "  other  little  sheep  "  that 
Jesus  wanted  to  have  gathered  into  his  flock. 

Suggestions  for  rut  Devotional  Service 

A  BIBEE  READING  LESSON 

"Jesus  saith  .  .  .  'Feed  my  sheep.'" — John  21:17. 

"  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the 
whole  creation." — Mark  16:15. 

**  And  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold :  them 
also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  mv  voice." 

_john  10:16. 

Continue  work  upon  the  Twenty-third  Psalm. 

SONGS 

"  I  Think  When  I  Read,"  verses  1  and  5. 
"  There's  a  Fold  Both  Safe  and  Happy,"  from  "  The  Pri- 
mary and  Junior  Hymnal." 

PRAYER 

Jesus,  tender  Shepherd,  hear  me; 

Bless  thy  little  lamb  to-night; 
Through  the  darkness  be  thou  near  me; 

Keep  me  safe  till  morning  light. 

— Mary  LuNDiii  Duncan. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Earn  a  bit  of  money,  or  spare  from  an  allowance  enough 
to  make  a  small  contribution  to  help  "  other  little  sheep  " 
such  as  Teng. 

Mount  several  pictures  for  the  scrapbook. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

REVIEW:  EXERCISES  SHOWING  SEVERAL  GOOD 
GIFTS  FROM  GOD,  OUR  LOVING  FATHER 

MEMORY  Vkrse: 

"  Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above, 
coming  down  from  the  Father." — James  1 :17. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Write  the  Memory  Verse  upon  the  blackboard,  and  have  it 
read  understandingly  by  the  children.  Have  it  read  with 
the  emphasis  put  upon  the  word  "  every." 

Refer  to  the  stories  about  gifts.  Get  from  the  pupils  a 
good  list  of  gifts  from  God,  and  write  them  as  named  upon 
the  board. 

Reemphasize  the  thought  that  we  owe  gratitude  and  thanks 
l)oth  for  these  everyday  gifts  and  for  the  unusual  gifts. 
Differentiate  between  these  different  kinds  of  gifts  by  some 
kind  of  mark.  Let  the  children  help  in  this  distinctive  in- 
dication. 

Get  a  recitation  of  as  many  "  thank-you  "  and  "  praise  " 
verses  from  the  Bible  as  the  children  can  remember. 

Let  the  children  dramatize  in  the  most  simple  manner 
possible  the  stories  connected  with  several  of  the  ''  good  gifts 
from  God." 

One  or  two  of  these  stories  might  be  given  by  several  of 
the  children,  mostly  in  the  form  of  pantomime,  and  guessed 
by  the  remainder  of  the  class  who  are  the  onlookers. 

The  following  are  suggestions,  and  may  be  modified  by  ad- 
ditions as  the  class  teacher  desires. 

The  Gift  oe  Coae 
Let  several  boys  act  out  in  pantomime  a  group  of  miners 

347 


348  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

working  with  pickaxes  clown  in  the  coal  mines,  loading  trains 
and  elevators  and  looking  upward  as  if  through  a  deep  shaft. 

The  Gift  of  a  Loaf  of  Bread 

Write  upon  the  blackboard  Maltbie  D.  Babcock's  poem: 
"  Give  Us  This  Day  Our  Daily  Bread  " : 

Back  of  the  loaf  is  the  snowy  flour, 

And  back  of  the  flour  the  mill; 
And  back  of  the  mill  is  the  wheat,  and  the  shower, 

And  the  sun,  and  the  Father's  will. 

Let  several  children  go  through  the  form  of  sowing  wheat 
in  the  old-fashioned  way  as  was  done  in  Palestine. 
Song:  "Wind,  Sun,  and  Rain,"  from  "Carols." 

"  Blessings  on  Efifort,"  from  "  Song  Stories  for  the 

Sunday  School." 

Include  in  the  review  the  thought  that  God  intends  that 

his  good  gifts  be  shared.    Remind  the  children  of  "  the  other 

sheep  "  and  give  a  missionary  touch  by  means  of  a  little 

dramatization  of  the  story  of  Teng. 

Teng 

One  corner  of  the  room  may  be  used  to  represent  the 
widow's  hut  in  Siam.     Teng  sits  in  a  corner  with  his  legs 
under  him,  very  quiet  and  limp.     The  mother  works  about 
the  house.    Another  boy,  Teng's  brother,  is  polishing  a  bowl. 
Neighbors  pass  by  and  stop  near  the  door. 
Mother:  "  Is  the  pain  any  better,  Teng,  my  little  one?    No, 
it  is  not !    The  spirit  doctor  did  it  no  good  !    The  sore  is 
worse  than  yesterday.    Oh,  what  shall  I  do!  "  (She  sits 
beside  him,  and  looks  at  Teng's  leg.    A  neighbor  passes 
by  and  stops  at  the  door.) 
Neighbor  :  "  What  is  the  matter  ?    Is  your  boy  sick  ?  " 
Mother  :  "  Oh,  neighbor,  yes  !    Yes  !    The  lamp  fell  down. 
He  does  not  know  how  it  happened.     I  did  not  see !     It 
has  burned  his  leg !    He  cried  all  night.    He  can  eat  no 
rice." 
Neighbor  :  "  Send  for  the  spirit  doctor." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  349 

Mother  (distractedly)  :  "I  did;  but  he  did  no  good.     He 

hurt  Teng's  leg!    The  sore  is  worse.'' 
Another  Neighbor  :  "  Have  you  asked  the  help  of  Buddha, 

our  god  ?  " 
Mother  :  "  I  have  asked  Buddha.  My  boy  Paulo  has  gath- 
ered all  the  guavas  in  the  garden.  He  took  them  as  a 
gift  to  Buddha.  It  is  all  I  had  tO'  give;  but  Teng  is  no 
better.  He  cannot  walk.  He  cannot  straighten  his  leg. 
He  can  eat  no  rice." 
Another  Neighbor  :  "  I  think  I  know  some  one  who  can 

cure  your  little  Teng." 
Mother:  "  Who?" 

Neighbor  :  "  The  doctor  at  the  Christian  school." 
The  Other  Neighbor:  (in  chorus)  :  "  No!    No!    He  can- 
not do  anything !     What  can  he  do  more  than  our  own 
spirit  doctors !     No!    No!" 
Mother:  "I  am  afraid  to  displease  Buddha.     Oh,  what 

shall  we  do?  " 
Neighbor  :  "  But  try.     He  is  a  good  doctor.     I  have  seen 
some  of  the  things  that  he  docs." 
(After  more  persuasion  the  mother  yields.     Teng  is  car- 
ried to  the  school  and  the  door  is  closed.     The  pianist  plays 
"  I   Think  When    I   Read,"   and   another   appropriate   song 
with  which  the  class  is  familiar.    Then  Teng's  mother  rises.) 
Mother:  "I  am  going  to  the  Christian  school  to  see  my 
little  Teng.     I  can  wait  no  longer.     I   must  see  him. 
Perhaps  they  have  hurt  him.    I  dreamed  about  him  last 
night." 
(Goes  to  the  door  and  knocks.    It  is  opened  by  Teng  him- 
self who  walks  with  a  limp  but  has  a  smile  of  welcome.) 
Mother:  *' Why !     Why!     Is   this   my   little   Teng?     But 
Teng  was  lame  and  sick  and  thin.    This  boy  is  not  thin, 
and  his  face  is  smiling.    He  can  walk !    No,  this  cannot 
be  Teng!" 
Teng  :  "  Yes,  it  is  Teng,  mother !     My  leg  is  almost  well. 
The  doctor  is  very  kind  to  me  !    I  love  the  doctor ;  I  love 
the  teachers.     See  my  new  coat !     See  my  book !     I  am 
learning   to   read,   and    I    can    write    my   name.      See ! 
(Writes.)     *'  The  doctor  said  that  God  sent  him  here  to 
help  me  and  to  help  all  little  children  of  Siam.     I  want 
to  stay.    Will  you  let  me  stay  ?  " 


350  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

(Piano  plays  softly  accompaniment,   "  I  Think  When   I 
Read.") 
Mother:  "Yes,  Teng-.     And  brother  Paulo  may  go  to  the 

school,  too." 
Song  by  the  Class:  "  I  Think  When  I  Read." 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotional  Service 

doxoeogy. 

repetition  oe  tv^enty-third  psalm, 

the  lord's  prayer. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Each  child  may  collect  during  the  week  one  or  more  pic- 
tures which  suggest  God's  good  gifts.  These  may  be  hied 
away  for  future  mounting  in  the  scrapbook. 

A  small  gift  of  fruit,  collected  and  sent  to  some  little  child 
who  is  sick  or  ill,  perhaps  in  a  hospital. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

STORIES  RETOLD 
Psalm  86:12,  13a  ;  Proverbs  20:11a 

Memory  Verse 

*''  I  will  praise  thee,  O  Lord  my  God,  with  my  w^hole 
heart."— Psalm  86:12a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Two  lessons  are  devoted  to  a  review  of  the  stories  used  to 
develop  this  theme.  Remember,  however,  that  the  stories 
are  the  means  to  an  end,  and  that  what  we  wish  to  impress 
primarily  is  the  theme,  *'  God's  Loving-Kindness." 

A  review  need  not  be  an  uninteresting  lesson,  incapable  of 
engaging  attention  or  exciting  the  feelings  and  emotions. 
Little  devices  may  be  used  to  arouse  the  children's  desire  to 
excel  in  the  actual  retelling  of  the  stories. 


PRniARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  351 

Perhaps,  however,  one  of  the  most  successful  ways  to 
conduct  a  review  is  through  the  use  of  the  dramatic.  This, 
as  has  been  stated  previously,  may  be  exceedingly  im- 
promptu, and  worked  out  in  the  class;  or  it  may  be  a  bit 
more  elaborate  according  to  the  time  allowed,  or  to  what 
you  consider  the  best  need  of  your  particular  class. 

The  children  are  always  eager  to  participate  in  this  kind 
of  exercise.  A  teacher  of  a  little  class  of  Italians  gathered 
from  among  the  workers  in  a  canning  factory  had  told  the 
story  of  "  The  Good  Samaritan,"  and  wished  to  review  it  by 
arranging  an  impromptu  dramatization. 

"Who  would  like  to  be  the  traveler?"  she  asked,  and  a 
forest  of  hands  went  up. 

"  And  who  would  like  to  be  the  Levite?  "  again  she  asked. 

Again  up  flew  the  hands. 

"  Who  will  take  the  part  of  the  Good  Samaritan?  " 

Again  the  same  response. 

But  before  she  could  get  in  another  question  Tony  raised 
his  hand  in  desperation,  and  his  eager  face  showed  that  he 
had  something  which  he  just  must  ask. 

"Well,  Tony?" 

"  Teacher,  can  I  be  the  robber  ?  " 

Teacher  was  ready  with  an  answer,  "  But  don't  you  think, 
Tony,  it  would  be  just  as  well  to  begin  where  the  robber  left 
ofif?"  And  Tony's  admiration  for  teacher  and  all  that  she 
did  or  said  or  thought,  led  him  to  say,  at  least,  that  he  agreed. 

Dramatic  Review  o^  Week  Day  Lesson,  Chapter 
XXXVI :  God,  the  Father,  and  His  Giets 

Remarks:  All  the  children  may  participate.  Each  may 
carry  a  bundle  of  some  sort,  and  march  around  the  room  to  a 
simple  tune  with  which  they  are  familiar,  played  softly  on 
the  piano.  The  chief  characters  will  be  Moses  and  the  little 
family  composed  of  father,  mother,  three  children,  David, 
Ruth,  and  Samuel.  A  coat  wrapped  up  to  look  like  a  baby 
and  carried  by  the  child  impersonating  the  mother  may  repre- 
sent the  baby  Joseph.  The  pianist  may  adjust  the  music  to 
fit  the  action,  and  in  a  measure  should  lead  the  children. 
Long  Procession  Marching: 


352  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Moses  (Turns  and  holds  up  hand,  music  ceases)  :  "  Halt,  my 

people !     The  sun  is  high  in  the  heavens.     The  sand  is 

hot  to  the  feet.    You  and  your  little  ones  are  tired.    We 

are  quite  safe.     Pharaoh  and  his  hosts  cannot  overtake 

us  now.    We  have  crossed  the  Red  Sea.    Our  God  has 

been  kind  to  us.    Let  us  sit  down  under  these  palm  trees. 

You  are  hungry.     Eat  from  your  lunches.     Drink  a  bit 

from  your  water  bags.    See  !  (pointing  to  the  sky)    The 

cloud  is  resting !  " 

(The  people  sit  down  in  companies,  and  go  through  the 

motions  of  eating,  drinking,  and  resting.     In  a  short  time 

a  signal  is  given  from  the  piano.    Moses  steps  forward.) 

Mosits :  "  The  cloud  is  moving,  my  people.    It  is  time  for  us 

to  be  on  our  journey  again.     Arise!  "  (Marching  order 

again.     After  a  few  minutes  the  music  lags,  and  the 

marchers  move  slowly  and  wearily.    The  three  children 

show  special  weariness.) 

David   (crying  to  his  mother)  :  "  Where  is  the  water  bag, 

mother?   I  am  thirsty." 
Mother  :  "  Do   not   drink   very   much,   dear ;   only   a    few 

swallows." 
David:  "  But  I  am  very  thirsty,  mother;  very,  very  thirsty." 
Ruth  :  "  And  I  am  very  thirsty,  mother ;  very,  very  thirsty." 
SamuKi.   (a  very  small  boy  who  lisps)  :  "  And  I'se  vewy 

thirsty." 
Mother:  "Yes,  my  children,  you  are  thirsty;  but  we  will 
drink  just  enough,  and  leave  the  rest  for  another  time. 
There,  that  is  all,  Samuel,  my  little  one." 
(Children  run  on  again,  but  soon  return  for  another  drink.) 
David  :  "  May  we  have  another  drink,  mother  ?  " 
Mother  :  "  Only  two  swallows,  dears.     No,  David,  that  is 

enough !     Sister  Ruth  must  have  her  share." 
Mother  :  "  Father,  the  last  drop  of  water  is  gone !     What 

shall  we  do  ?    The  children  are  crying  for  water !  " 
Father:  "Yes,  even  the  flocks  ore  suffering;  their  tongues 

hang  from  their  mouths  !    What  shall  we  do?  " 
Mother  (looking  into  the  lunch  basket)  :  "  And  the  food  is 
almost  gone!    Our  children  will  starve,  or  else  they  will 
die  of  thirst." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  353 

(Mother  cries  and  father  begins  to  scold.     Several  of  the 
travelers  surround  Moses  and  begin  to  upbraid  him.) 
A  TravklER  :  "  We  might  better  have  stayed  in  Egypt !  " 
Father  :  "  My  David  and  my  little  Ruth  and  Samuel  and 

the  baby,  all  will  die !  " 
An    Old   Man  :  "  We  had   plenty   of   bread   and   meat   in 

Egypt!" 
A  Woman  :  ''  There  were  vegetables  and  fruits,  too." 
A  Man  :  *'  And  onions  and  leeks." 
A  Woman  :  "  And  the  juicy  melons !     Oh,  the  sweet,  juicy 

melons !  " 
A  Young  Girl:  "And  there  was  water.     Oh,  there  was 

water !  " 
Everybody  :  "  Water  !  Water  !  Water  !  " 
MosKS  :  "  My  people,  let  us  go  forward.    You  will  not  die  of 

hunger  and  thirst !     God  has  brought  us  here.     God  is 

good ;  he  is  kind !     He  will  take  care  of  us.     He  will 

provide  both  food  and  drink.    I  have  asked,  and  he  has 

answered.    Come,  the  cloud  is  moving,  let  us  go  forward 

where  it  leads  !  " 
(The  travelers  move  forward.     Some  one  raises  his  hands 
to  his  eyes,  and  looks  far  to  the  distance.) 
Traveler  :  "  What  is  that  that  I  see  ?    Look  !    Over  there  ! 
Another  Traveler:  "I,  too,  see  something." 
Another  :  "  It  is  green  !    Trees  !  " 
Another  :  "  There  is  water  where  there  are  trees  !  " 
All  :  "  Water,  water !  " 
MosES :  "  Onward  !    This  is  the  place  to  which  the  Lord  hath 

led  us." 
All  :  "  Water  !    There  are  wells  !  " 
Another  :  "  There  are  dates  !    There  is  food  and  drink !  " 

(The  procession  moves  forward  to  a  place  chosen  to  repre- 
sent an  oasis.) 
MosEs:  "Give   drink  to  your   little  ones.     Do  not  crowd. 

There  is  enough  for  all.     Not  even  a  little  lamb  needs 

to  go  thirsty.     Drink  and  eat.     Then  set  up  your  tents 

and  rest." 
All  Sing  :  The  Doxology. 

(Memory  Verse  in  concert.) 


354  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotional  Service: 
the  twenty-third  psai^m. 

THE  lord's  PRAYER. 


Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Mounting  of  pictures  in  the  scrapbook.     (If  time  permits.) 


PLEASING  GOD  BY  RIGHT-DOING 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH  OBEYING  HIS  FATHER 

Genesis  7:1-4,  12-17 

Me:mory  Verse: 

"  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother." — Exodus  20:12a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Obedience  toward  parents  is  a  lesson  that  every  Httle 
child  should  learn ;  and  every  story  that  helps  him  to  appre- 
ciate his  duty  toward  his  father  and  mother  is  of  great  edu- 
cational value. 

Obedience  was  one  of  the  fundamental  laws  of  God. 
From  the  first  God  required  it  from  Adam,  and  Adam  failed. 

Jesus  was  the  only  Example  of  perfect  obedience  to  his 
Father. 

"  Children,  obey  your  parents  in  the  Lord :  for  this  is 
right.  Honor  thy  father  and  mother  (which  is  the  first  com- 
mandment with  promise),  that  it  may  be  well  with  thee."  So 
the  A])ostle  Paul  admonishes,  and  we  are  constantly  assured 
that  obedience  yields  its  fruit ;  many  promises  are  given. 

Joseph  was  a  superlative  example  of  a  boy  who  showed 
love  and  obedience,  and  the  story  for  to-day  is  based  upon 
the  account  of  his  willing  and  cheerful  readiness  to  carry  his 
father's  gift  and  message  to  his  brothers,  who  were  taking 
care  of  the  sheep  in  the  distant  fields  of  Shechem. 

The  Geography 

Hebron  was  the  place  where  Isaac  and  Jacob  lived.  Abra- 
ham dwelt  for  a  time  near  the  vicinity,  in  his  tent,  which  was 
pitched  under  the  oak  or  "  terebinth  "  trees.  It  is  about 
nineteen  or  twenty  miles  south  of  Jerusalem. 

Shechem   was   among  the   hills   of   Ephraim,   fifty   miles 

357 


358  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

north  of  Hebron.  It  was  a  very  fertile  region,  and  there 
were  plenty  of  springs,  thus  making  it  a  desirable  pasture 
ground  for  the  flocks  of  sheep. 

Dothan  was  fifteen  miles  farther  on  toward  the  north.  It 
was  on  a  caravan  route. 

To  Biggin  the;  Lesson 

What  two  people  do  boys  and  girls  love  most  in  all  the 
world?  What  is  a  good  way  to  show  that  you  love  your 
father  and  your  mother  ?    By  minding ;  by  being  obedient. 

(Read  or  recite  in  effective  manner  the  poem  by  James 
Whitcomb  Riley),  entitled  **  A  Boy's  Mother." 

TiiK  Story 

A  long  time  ago  in  the  land  called  Hebron,  there  lived  a 
boy  whose  name  was  Joseph. 

Joseph  did  not  have  a  mother ;  she  was  dead ;  but  he  had 
a  father  whom  he  loved  very  dearly. 

His  father  loved  him,  too,  and  was  very  good  to  him.  He 
had  loved  Joseph's  mother  dearly,  and  now  when  he  looked 
at  Joseph,  the  boy  reminded  him  of  her. 

It  was  a  large  family,  and  they  lived  in  tents.  There 
were  ten  brothers  older  than  Joseph,  and  one  little  brother 
younger. 

The  little  l^rolhcr's  name  was  Benjamin,  and  he  and 
Joseph  had  many  happy  times  together. 

I'here  was  another  member  of  the  family,  too;  the  old 
grandfather,  Isaac.  He  was  almost  blind  now,  and  Joseph 
and  Benjamin  would  sometimes  have  to  lead  him  when 
he  walked. 

The  gentle  okl  grandfather  could  tell  them  wonderful 
stories  about  the  long-ago  times  when  his  father  first  came 
to  the  home  under  the  oak  trees  where  they  now  lived. 

Joseph's  father  was  a  rich  man.  He  had  so  many  sheep 
out  in  the  meadows  and  on  the  hillsides  that  a  boy  could  not 
count  them.    It  took  a  number  of  men  to  care  for  them. 

This  was  what  the  big  brothers  did. 

Sometimes  they  had  to  lead  the  sheep  many  miles  to 
pasture  because  they  ate  so  much  grass. 

When  they  were  sheared,  the  father,  Jacob,  had  great  piles 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  359 

of  fleecy  wool.  Some  of  this  he  had  woven  into  beautiful, 
soft  rugs.  Sometimes  the  wool  was  dyed  into  wonderful 
colors  which  made  the  rugs  more  beautiful. 

Some  of  the  wool  was  woven  into  clothing. 

One  day  Joseph's  father  gave  him  a  gift.  It  was  a  hand- 
some coat  woven  of  the  fleecy  wool  that  had  come  from  the 
backs  of  some  of  the  sheep. 

The  threads  of  wool  had  been  dyed  beautiful  colors,  and 
the  coat  had  sleeves. 

In  those  days  most  of  the  coats  that  boys  wore  had  no 
sleeves.  This  soft,  warm  coat  with  sleeves  was  the  finest 
Joseph  ever  had  had.    It  came  down  almost  to  his  feet. 

He  was  very  grateful  to  his  father  for  the  gift,  and 
wanted  to  do  something  to  please  him. 

Now  the  ten  big  brothers  were  jealous  because  the  father 
had  given  their  young  brother  the  beautiful  coat;  they  were 
envious  and  cross.  They  talked  about  Joseph  when  he  was 
not  around,  and  they  said  spiteful  things  to  him  when  he 
came  near  them. 

One  day  Joseph's  father  said  to  him :  "  Come  here,  my 
boy.  I  wish  you  to  go  on  an  errand  for  me.  Your  brothers 
have  had  to  go  a  long  distance  with  the  sheep.  They  have 
gone  to  Shechem,  fifty  miles  away.  I  want  you  to  see 
whether  they  are  well." 

This  was  a  pretty  hard  thing  for  Joseph  to  do.  But  he 
thought  of  his  father's  love,  he  looked  at  the  beautiful  coat. 
"  I  am  glad  to  do  anything  to  please  my  father,"  he  thought. 
"  Of  course  I  will  go  on  this  errand." 

Then  he  said  cheerfully.  '*  Here  I  am,  father ;  I'll  go." 

Soon  the  boy  was  trudging  away  over  the  hills  toward 
Shechem.  By  and  by  he  reached  the  place;  but  not  one  of 
his  brothers  could  he  see. 

As  he  was  wandering  about  the  fields,  wondering  what  to 
do,  a  stranger  asked,  "  For  whom  are  you  looking  ?  " 

"  I  am  looking  for  my  brothers.  They  are  shepherds,  and 
my  father  has  sent  me  to  learn  if  all  is  well  with  them." 

Joseph  described  his  ten  brothers,  then  he  asked,  "  Can 
you  tell  me  where  they  are  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  seen  the  ten  men,"  answered  the  stranger. 
"  I  heard  them  say,  *  Let  us  go  to  Dothan.'  " 

Dothan  was  fifteen  miles  farther  away,  so  Joseph's  errand 


360  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

for  his  father  was  not  yet  finished.  He  left  Shechem,  and 
kept  on  until,  far  away,  he  spied  his  brothers.  He  never 
stopped  till  he  had  done  all  that  his  father  had  asked  him 
to  do. 


Suggestions  for  the  Devotional  Service 

A  READING  LESSON   FROM   THE   BLACKBOARD 

"  My  son,  keep  the  commandment  of  thy  father, 

And  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother." 

—Proverbs  6 :20. 
"  A  wise  son  maketh  a  glad  father ; 

But  a  foolish  son  is  the  heaviness  of  his  mother." 

—Proverbs  10  :L 
"  My  son,  if  thy  heart  be  wise. 

My  heart  will  be  glad,  even  mine : 

Yea,  my  heart  will  rejoice, 

When  thy  lips  speak  right  things."— Proverbs  23:15,  16. 


PRAYER 

Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  live  each  day  in  a  way  well 
pleasing  to  thee.  Help  us  to  be  obedient;  to  do  right  and 
kind  things  ;  and  to  think  right  thoughts.    Amen. 


SONG 

"  Prayer  Response,"  from  "  Carols."  page  7. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Mount  pictures  in  the  scrapbook. 

Begin  weaving  small  rugs  on  looms.  (For  directions  see 
page  396.) 

Do  one  especially  fine  thing  for  father  and  one  for  mother 
during  the  week. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  361 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

"  IF  THERE  BE  WITH  THEE  A  POOR  MAN  " 

Proverbs  14:21;  Deuteronomy  15:7-11;  Matthew  25:35-45 

Mkmory  Verse: 

"  Be  ye  kind  one  to  another." — Ephesians  4 :32. 

TiiK  Teacher's  Preparation 

There  was  once  a  man  in  the  very  early  days  of  human 
life  on  the  earth  who  asked  his  Maker  the  question :  ''  Am  I 
my  brother's  keeper  ?  " 

Many  pages  of  the  Bible  and  many  incidents  of  varied 
nature  are  given  to  answer  this  question ;  and  so  conclusive 
is  the  answer  that  there  can  remain  no  doubt  that  God  holds 
every  man  responsible  to  help  his  fellow  man  in  every  way 
that  he  is  able.  God  is  pleased  when  we  behave  rightly 
toward  our  neighbor  and  is  grieved  when  we  neglect  or 
wrong  him. 

Great  stress  is  laid  upon  our  behavior  toward  the  poor. 
"  Ye  have  the  poor  always  with  you ;"  it  was  so  when  the 
laws  of  God  were  first  given  to  man,  and  it  is  so  to-day.  One 
of  the  interesting  rules  in  those  early  days  was  concerning 
the  reaping  of  the  harvest  field.  The  land  was  iiot  to  be 
combed  too  closely ;  a  certain  portion  was  to  remain  for  the 
poor,  who  followed  after  to  glean. 

The  poor  were  to  be  helped  and  comforted  and  taken  care 
of.  They  were  to  be  clothed  and  fed ;  they  were  not  to  be 
pressed  for  debt ;  they  were  not  to  be  neglected  in  any  way. 

God  showed  again  and  again  that  it  was  right  and  pleas- 
ing in  his  sight  that  these,  "  his  poor,"  should  be  helped,  and 
that  when  he  asked,  "  Where  is  thy  brother?"  we  have  no 
right  to  reply,  "  Am  I  my  brother's  keeper  ?  " 

Try  to  develop  this  thought  through  the  following  short 
story,  bringing  out  with  the  story  the  real  personal  joy  that 
comes  with  right-doing  toward  our  neighbor  who,  it  may  be, 
is  poorer  than  ourselves. 

Supplement  with  a  careful  reading  from  the  blackboard 
of  the  verses  suggested  for  the  devotional  service. 


362  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Tiiiv  Story 

There  was  to  be  a  lunch  in  the  pavilion,  and  perhaps  ice 
cream ;  there  was  a  merry-go-round  and  there  was  a  sand 
pile;  there  was  a  menagerie  with  all  kinds  of  animals — cun- 
ning little  rabbits  and  white  mice,  and  big  animals,  too — 
queer,  humped  camels  and  bears  and  lions  and  elephants ; 
perhaps  you  could  feed  the  monkeys  if  you  could  spare  some 
of  your  good  things. 

Tommy  had  the  ticket  to  go  to  all  this  splendor,  a  pink 
ticket  for  the  picnic !  His  Sunday-school  teacher  had  given 
it  to  him  a  week  ago,  and  it  was  in  his  safest  pocket  with 
the  ten  cents  mother  had  been  able  to  spare  from  her  hard- 
earned  money  from  the  washing  and  ironing.  He  fingered 
them  both  lovingly  as  he  came  home  from  school. 

Wednesday — Thursday — Friday — and  then  Saturday,  the 
great  day  would  be  here !  What  made  him  see  little  lame 
Dick  just  at  that  minute?  And  what  made  Dick  look  so  very 
pale  and  wan  ?  What  made  his  home  look  so  especially  dirty 
and  tumble-down,  and  what  made  Tommy  remember  that 
Dick's  father  was  out  of  work,  and  what  made  him  think 
of  the  time  Dick  had  told  him  how  he  hated  the  crowded 
city  and  how  homesick  he  was  for  the  village  home  that 
they  had  left  when  his  father  had  tried  to  get  work  in  the 
city? 

Tommy  closed  his  eyes  and  stoi)ped  up  his  ears  and  ran 
round  the  corner,  but  still  he  kept  thinking  of  all  these  things. 

**  Well,  we're  poor,  too;  and  the  ticket's  mine,"  he  said  out 
loud. 

Then  some  one  seemed  to  say,  *'  But  there  are  only  you 
and  mother,  and  mother  has  a  little  money,  and  the  home 
belongs  to  her ;  and  sometimes  she  can  take  you  on  a  picnic." 
Oh,  that  still,  small  voice  whispered  a  great  many  other 
things. 

It  took  Tommy  a  whole  day  to  thrash  it  all  out,  but  when 
it  was  decided,  there  was  the  sweetest  look  of  love  in  his 
brown  eyes. 

"  Dick  is  poorer  than  we  are ;  and  I  went  last  year ;  and  he 
never  goes  anywhere ;  can't  run  and  play ;  can't  even  walk 
without  his  crutch.    Yes,  this  ticket's  Dick's." 

He  took  the  pink  ticket  from  his  pocket  and  spelled  the 
words  to  himself.    Then  he  began  whistling  the  gayest  tune 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  363 

he  knew  as  he  drew  near  the  old  doorstep  where  Dick  was 
sitting  with  his  crutch  near  his  side. 

"  Here,  Dick,  you  can  go  'stead  of  me.  It's  the  picnic 
ticket,"  and  he  tossed  the  card  into  Dick's  lap.  "  There's  to 
be  a  lunch,  and  perhaps  ice  cream,  and  a  merry-go-round  and 
lots  and  lots  of  animals.  Get  some  peanuts  to  feed  the  ele- 
phant," and  he  put  the  ten-cent  piece  into  Dick's  thin  hand. 

Dick's  face  was  so  happy  that  Tommy  had  the  queerest 
feeling  come  into  his  throat. 

When  the  picnic  day  came,  and  mother  was  away,  and 
there  was  no  school  because  it  was  Saturday,  Tommy  had  to 
whistle  quite  often  to  keep  from  thinking  of  the  ice  cream 
and  the  elephant,  but  he  didn't  cry,  not  once. 

Tommy's  Sunday-school  teacher  was  at  the  picnic,  and  in 
some  way  he  learned  all  about  the  pink  ticket.  The  very 
next  week  he  went  to  visit  at  Tommy's  house. 

"  You  have  made  three  people  happy,  Tommy  boy.  Dick 
had  the  best  day  of  his  life;  my  day  was  happy;  and  I 
think  I  know  how  you  have  felt.  And  better  than  all, 
Tommy,  the  heavenly  Father  was  made  glad  because  he  saw 
one  of  his  children  showing  love  and  kindness  toward  an- 
other who  was  poor  and  helpless." 

Just  as  teacher  rose  to  go  he  said :  "  By  the  way.  Tommy, 
I  am  going  fishing  next  Saturday.  My  boat  has  just  been 
painted  and  I  have  two  fishlines  and  a  big  lunch  basket.  Will 
you  go  with  me  ?  Yes  ?  Well,  then,  bright  and  early  Satur- 
day morning !  " 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotionai,  Service 
a  bible  reading  lesson 
"  He  that  hath  pity  on  the  poor,  happy  is  he." 

—Proverbs  14:21b. 
"If  there  be  with  thee  a  poor  man,  .  .  .  thou  shalt  not 
harden  thy  heart,  nor  shut  thy  hand  from  thy  poor  brother." 

— Deuteronomy  15:7. 

(Note:  Explain  that  the  following  were  words  that  Jesus 
spoke.) 

"  For  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  me  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty, 
and  ye  gave  me  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in ; 


364  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

naked,  and  ye  clothed  me ;  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me ;  I 
was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me.  .  .  . 

Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  my  brethren,  even 
these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me." — Matthew  25  :35,  36,  40. 

SONG 

"  Give,  Said  the  Little  Stream,"  from  "  The  Primary  and 
Junior  Hymnal." 

PRAYER 

Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  remember  always  that  our 
good  gifts  come  from  thee.  Help  us  to  be  generous  with 
these  gifts.  Help  us  especially  to  be  glad  to  share  with  those 
who  are  needy  and  less  fortunate  than  we  ourselves. 

(Conclude  with  The  Lord's  Prayer.) 

SuGGEsTKD  Activities 
Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Copy  the  first  verse  of  "  A  Song  of  Busy-Being." 
Mount  pictures  in  the  scrapbook. 

Do  one  special  kind  thing  this  week  for  some  one  poorer 
than  yourself. 

A  Song  of  Busy-Being 

If  you  were  busy  being  kind, 
Before  you  knew  it  you  would  find 
You'd  soon  forget  to  think  'twas  true 
That  some  one  was  unkind  to  you. 

If  you  were  busy  being  glad, 
And  cheering  people  who  are  sad, 
Ahhough  your  heart  might  ache  a  bit, 
You'd  soon  forget  to  notice  it. 

If  you  were  busy  being  good, 
And  doing  just  the  best  you  could, 
You'd  not  have  time  to  blame  some  man 
Who's  doing  just  the  best  he  can. 

If  you  were  busy  being  true 

To  what  you  know  you  ought  to  do. 

You'd  be  so  busy  you'd  forget 

The  blunders  of  the  folks  you've  met. 

—Rebecca  B.  ForEsman,  in  The  Continent. 


CHAPTER  XL 
WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH'S  UNKIND  BROTHERS 
Genesis  37:5-11,  18-36 
Memory  Versed 
"  We  should  love  one  another." — I  John  3  :11b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

This  lesson  is  a  continuation  of  the  story  of  Joseph  as 
begun  in  the  Week  Day  Session,  Chapter  XXXIX.  Review 
this  lesson  by  a  number  of  questions  so  arranged  that  they 
give  the  story : 

Several  days  ago  we  heard  a  story  about  a  boy  whose 
father  gave  him  a  very  beautiful  gift. 

Wiat  was  the  name  of  the  boy? 

What  was  the  gift  that  his  father  gave  him? 

Who  can  describe  this  coat  ? 

How  many  brothers  did  Joseph  have  ? 

What  was  the  name  of  Joseph's  little  brother? 

What  did  the  older  brothers  think  about  the  coat? 

What  was  Joseph's  father's  business? 

W^ho  took  care  of  his  sheep? 

What  did  he  ask  Joseph  to  do  one  day? 

What  did  Joseph  do? 

A  bit  of  Primary  geography  will  be  necessary  with  this 
lesson.  Picture  as  clearly  as  you  can  what  a  desert  is  like, 
and  why  it  is  barren. 

Tell  something  about  the  caravans  that  travel  over  the 
desert;  how  the  merchantmen  travel  with  camels,  and  why 
they  use  this  animal.  Tell  what  they  carry  in  their  packs, 
naming  such  things  as  spices,  olives,  dates,  and  rugs.  Some- 
times they  had  slaves  and  sold  them  to  the  wealthy  of  the 
land. 

365 


366  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Make  your  positive  conclusion  by  means  of  the  contrast. 
Bring  out  the  contrast  as  expressed  in  the  words  of  John, 
which  are  chosen  for  the  Memory  Verse. 

The  Story 

When  Joseph  went  to  bed  at  night,  he  would  take  one  of 
the  soft  rugs  that  had  been  woven  from  the  wool  of  the  sheep 
in  his  father's  flock,  unroll  it,  and  put  it  down  in  one  comer 
of  the  tent.  It  made  a  fine,  comfortable  bed,  and  soon  he 
would  be  fast  asleep  and  dreaming. 

Dreaming !  One  night  before  he  went  on  that  errand  for 
his  father,  he  had  such  a  strange  dream  that  he  remembered 
it  in  the  morning. 

**  I  dreamed  a  strange  dream  last  night,''  he  said  to  his 
brothers.  "  I'll  tell  it  to  you.  I  thought  we  were  binding 
sheaves  in  the  field.  Presently  my  sheaf  arose  and  stood  up- 
right. Your  sheaves  came  round  and  bowed  down  to  my 
sheaf." 

Ten  angry-looking  big  brothers  began  to  scold  at  Joseph. 

"  You  think  you  will  reign  over  us,  do  you  ?  "  said  one 
brother. 

"  Well,  we'll  see  about  that !  "  exclaimed  another. 

"Reign  over  us,  indeed!"  and  one  after  another  had 
something  unkind  to  say. 

They  disliked  him  more  than  ever. 

But  it  was  not  long  afterwards  that  one  morning  when 
Joseph  rose  and  rolled  up  his  rug  for  the  day,  he  went  to  his 
brothers  and  said,  "  I  had  another  dream  last  night." 

The  brothers  gathered  round  him. 

"  I  thought  the  sun  and  the  moon  and  eleven  stars  bowed 
down  to  me." 

If  the  brothers  were  angry  before,  they  were  much  angrier 
now;  they  hated  Joseph.  They  talked  about  him  together 
while  they  were  out  in  the  fields  with  their  father's  sheep. 

They  had  been  saying  very  unkind  things  about  him  the 
day  his  father  sent  him  on  the  errand.  Indeed  they  had  seen 
him  looking  this  way  and  that  as  he  wandered  over  the  fields. 

"  Here  comes  this  dreamer !  "  said  one  brother.  They  felt 
so  ugly  and  angry  that  they  were  ready  to  hurt  Joseph.  They 
began  to  plan  to  hurt  him. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  367 

"  Let  us  kill  him  and  throw  his  body  into  one  of  these 
pits,"  said  one  brother.  "  We  can  then  go  home  and  say  that 
some  wild  beast  ate  him.  Then  what  will  come  of  his 
dreams  ?  We  may  have  a  bit  of  peace !"" 

Reuben,  the  oldest  brother,  seems  to  have  had  a  kinder 
heart  than  the  others,  for  he  said,  "  No,  we  must  not  kill 
him,"  and  he  took  Joseph  away  from  them.  "  We  must  not 
kill  our  brother.  Throw  him  into  this  pit  in  the  desert." 
Reuben  intended  to  come  back  and  get  the  boy,  and  take  him 
home  to  his  father. 

Then  those  jealous  brothers  tore  the  beautiful  coat  from 
Joseph's  back ;  they  threw  him  roughly  into  the  pit  which 
was  dark,  but  fortunately  had  no  water  in  it.  The  hard- 
hearted brothers  then  sat  down  and  ate  their  dinner. 

Presently,  in  the  far  distance,  they  saw  something  moving 
toward  them ;  they  found  that  it  was  a  procession  of  Ishmael- 
ites,  desert  travelers,  who  were  on  their  way  to  Egypt  to  sell 
their  wares.  They  rode  on  camels,  and  in  the  packs  on  the 
great  animals'  backs  were  spices  and  balm  and  myrrh,  which 
they  were  carrying  to  Egypt. 

"  Here  is  our  chance  to  get  rid  of  the  dreamer,'*  thought 
Judah,  one  of  the  brothers.  "  We  should  not  kill  our  brother," 
he  said.  "  Here's  a  better  plan.  Let's  sell  him  to  these 
traders.     We  must  not  kill  him.'* 

The  others  agreed  to  the  plan,  all  but  Reuben,  who  was 
not  with  them  just  at  that  time. 

The  merchantmen  drew  near.  The  brothers  pulled  Joseph 
from  the  pit. 

*'  Would  you  like  to  buy  a  slave  boy  ?  "  they  asked. 

The  men  looked  at  Joseph :  he  was  good-looking ;  he  was 
straight  and  well  formed.  They  would  sell  him  to  some  rich 
man ;  he  would  bring  a  good  price. 

"  Yes,  we  will  take  him.     How  much?  " 

Then  they  bargained,  and  at  last  the  merchantmen  opened 
their  moneybags,  and,  taking  out  twenty  pieces  of  silver, 
gave  them  to  the  brothers  and  led  Joseph  away. 

By  and  by  Reuben  came  back,  and  went  to  the  pit.  Joseph 
was  gone!  "The  child  is  not  there!  What  shall  I  do? 
What  shall  I  do  ?  "  he  cried,  and  he  thought  of  his  poor,  old 
father. 

The  brothers  then  killed  a  kid  and  dipped  Joseph's  coat  in 


368  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

its  blood.  They  took  it  home  with  them  and  showed  it  to 
their  father. 

"  We  have  found  this  coat,"  they  said.  "  Do  you  know 
it  ?    Is  it  your  son's  coat  ?  '' 

The  poor  father  took  it  in  his  trembhng  hands.  "  It  is 
Joseph's  coat !  "  he  gasped.  "  It  is  my  Joseph's  coat !  He 
never  will  come  back  to  me !  Some  animal  has  killed  him — 
has  torn  him  to  pieces !  " 

Then  he  cried  aloud,  and,  try  as  they  might,  his  sons 
could  not  comfort  him.  "  I  shall  die  of  my  sorrow !  "  he 
cried. 


Suggestions  for  tiiic  Dicvotional  Service 

a  bible  reading  lesson 

"  Am  I  my  brother's  keeper?  " — Genesis  4 :9. 
"We  should  love  one  another." — I  John  3:11b. 
"  This  is  my  commandment,  that  ye  love  one  another,  even 
as  I  have  loved  you." — John  15:12. 

"  Behold,  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is 
For  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity !  " 

—Psalm  133:1. 


SONG 

"  Saviour,  Teach  Me  Day  by  Day,"  from  ''  The  Primary 
and  Junior  Hymnal." 

PRAYER 

Heavenly  P'athcr,  help  us  always  to  be  kind  and  loving. 
Help  us  to  drive  jealous  and  angry  feelings  out  of  our  hearts 
when  they  do  come  there.    Amen. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 
Cut  out  camels  and  arrange  as  a  caravan. 
Try  to  do  one  special  kind  act  to  each  member  of  the 
family  this  week. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  369 

SUNDAY  SESSION 

BEAUTIFUL  HANDS 

Proverbs  20:11,  12;  21:3;  James  2:15,  16;  I  John  3:17,  18 

MEMORY  VKRSE: 

"  Even  a  child  maketh  himself  known  by  his  doings." 

—Proverbs  20:11. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Let  it  be  our  aim  in  teaching  every  lesson  grouped  under 
this  theme  to  influence  the  children  toward  a  real  desire  and 
determination  to  do  right  because  such  conduct  will  please 
our  heavenly  Father. 

All  through  the  Bible  are  pictures  of  the  righteous  and  of 
those  who  made  a  right  choice  between  two  possible  courses 
of  action  for  the  sake  of  pleasing  God. 

Let  these  stories  be  accompanied  by  others  of  the  every- 
day life  of  to-day,  stories  with  a  strong  appeal  to  children, 
in  order  to  make  our  theme  a  very  vital  part  of  their  own 
hves. 

If  those  who  teach  these  lessons  will  give  an  earnest 
thought  to  the  great,  wide  meaning  of  the  theme,  they  will 
appreciate  what  tremendous  odds  oppose  "  pleasing  God  by 
right-doing  "  in  the  world  to-day ;  yet  again  they  will  realize 
our  tremendous  opportunity.  Sometimes  it  seems  as  if  the 
evil  finds  it  an  easy  matter  to  overleap  restraint.  Surely  one 
way  to  help  in  the  critical  situation  is  to  begin  with  the  chij- 
dren  and  show  through  proper  instruction  that  the  only 
happy  way  of  life  is  the  way  set  down  by  God  in  his  Book  of 
instructions  to  his  children. 

Two  stories  are  suggested  for  your  help  to-day.  One 
the  poem  "  Abou  Ben  Adhem,"  by  Leigh  Hunt.  It  is  printed 
in  full  that  the  teacher  may  have  it  at  hand.  This  may  be 
interpreted  for  the  children  in  the  form  of  a  short  prose 
story ;  or  perhaps  it  may  be  read. 

The  second  story  is  an  adaptation  of  the  old  fairy  tale, 
which  many  of  the  children  have  heard  at  home  or  at  school, 
with  the  emphasis  laid  upon  the  part  of  the  story  which 
illumines  our  theme. 


370  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Abou  Ben  Adhem 

Abou  Ben  Adhem  (may  his  tribe  increase!) 

Awoke  one  night  from  a  deep  dream  of  peace, 

And  saw,  within  the  moonlight  in  his  room, 

Making  it  rich,  and  like  a  lily  in  bloom. 

An  angel  writing  in  a  book  of  gold: 

Exceeding  peace  had  made  Ben  Adhem  bold, 

And  to  the  presence  in  the  room  he  said, 

"What  writest  thou?"     The  vision  raised  his  head, 

And  with  a  look  made  of  all  sweet  accord, 

Answered,  "  The  names  of  those  who  love  the  Lord." 

"And  is  mine  one?"  said  Abou.     "  Nay,  not  so," 

Replied  the  angel.     Abou  spoke  more  low. 

But  cheerily  still;  and  said,  "  I  pray  thee,  then, 

Write  me  as  one  that  loves  his  fellow  men." 

The  angel  wrote,  and  vanished.    The  next  night 

It  came  again  with  a  great  wakening  light. 

And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had  blessed, 

And  lo!  Ben  Adhem's  name  led  all  the  rest. 

— Leigh  Hunt. 

To  Begin  the  Lesson 

Review  the  story  of  "  Joseph's  Unkind  Brothers."  Bring 
out  the  fact  that  the  brothers  were  envious  and  jealous. 
These  two  sins  prompted  their  unkindness  and  led  on  to 
other  evil. 

Draw  attention  to  the  fact  that  it  was  a  sort  of  unhappy 
story,  a  story  that  left  a  sad  feeling. 

We  have  a  story  to-day  about  choosing  right  things  to  do : 
taking  the  opportunity  of  doing  kind  things  for  others,  and 
not  taking  the  opportunity.    Which  way  is  best  ? 

Beautiful  Hands 

One  summer  day  some  girls  were  playing  and  talking  to- 
gether beside  a  brook. 

The  little  brook  sang  gayly  as  it  slipped  along  over  the 
pebbles,  the  sun  shone  down  on  the  water,  and  ferns  and 
wild  flowers  grew  along  the  edge.  It  was  a  very  pleasant 
place  to  play. 

Presently  one  of  the  girls  dipped  her  hands  down  into  the 
brook.  She  caught  up  the  water,  and  the  drops  sparkled  like 
diamonds  as  they  fell  through  her  fingers. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  371 

"  See  what  beautiful  hands  I  have !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  The 
water  looks  like  precious  jewels  upon  them.  Look !  "  and 
she  held  up  her  hands  for  the  others  to  admire. 

They  were  soft  and  white,  for  she  never  had  done  any- 
thing but  wash  them  in  clear  water,  and  take  care  of  them. 
It  seemed  as  if  no  hands  could  be  more  lovely  than  these. 

There  was  a  strawberry  patch  just  beyond  the  brook,  and 
one  of  the  other  girls  ran  over  to  it.  She  gathered  a  hand- 
ful of  the  ripe  berries,  and  crushed  them  with  her  fingers. 

The  juice  trickled  through  her  hands,  and  stained  them 
till  they  were  the  color  of  a  dainty  rose. 

"See  what  beautiful  hands  I  have!"  she  cried,  as  she 
held  them  up  for  the  others  tO'  see. 

They  were  very  soft  and  beautiful,  for  she  never  had  done 
anything  much  but  to  take  care  of  them.  Could  any  hands  be 
more  lovely  than  these? 

On  a  bank  near  by,  the  ground  was  sweet  with  violets. 
One  of  the  girls  gathered  a  bunch  and  crushed  them  in 
her  hands,  until  her  lingers  were  fragrant  with  the  delicate 
perfume. 

"  See  what  beautiful  hands  I  have !  "  she  said  to  the  others. 
"  They  are  as  sweet  as  the  violets !  " 

They  were  beautiful  hands,  soft  and  sweet,  for  she  had 
come  to  the  violet  bank  every  morning  and  gathered  a  bunch 
to  perfume  her  fingers.  Could  any  hands  be  more  lovely 
than  these? 

There  was  another  little  girl,  but  she  did  not  show  her 
hands.  Indeed  she  rolled  them  up  in  her  apron  and  did  not 
say  a  word. 

Just  then  an  old  woman  came  along  the  road ;  she  stopped 
beside  the  brook. 

Each  girl  began  to  talk  to  the  stranger. 

"  Don't  you  think  my  hands  the  most  beautiful  in  the 
world?"  asked  the  first  girl.  "See!  The  water  sparkles 
like  diamonds !  "  and  she  splashed  them  in  the  water. 

"But  mine  are  still  more  beautiful!  Look!"  said  the 
second. 

"  But  mine  are  as  soft  and  sweet  as  the  violets,"  said  the 
third. 

The  old  woman  shook  her  head  as  each  showed  her  hands. 


372  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

"  Let  me  see  yours,  my  dear,"  she  said  to  the  girl  who  sat 
quietly  with  her  hands  in  her  lap. 

She  raised  them  timidly.  They  were  rough  and  quite 
hard.    The  girl's  face  flushed,  and  she  dropped  her  eyes. 

The  old  woman  took  the  hands  in  her  own. 

"  Ah,  these  are  the  most  beautiful  hands !  "  she  exclaimed. 
"  They  are  hard  because  she  helped  her  mother  to  wash  the 
dishes,  and  sweep  the  floor,  and  tend  her  baby  sister.  See, 
here  is  the  finger  that  was  pricked  with  the  needle  when  she 
helped  her  mother  to  mend  the  clothes.  And  here  is  the  cut 
that  was  made  when  she  peeled  the  fruit.  And  here  is  the 
burn  which  she  got  when  she  was  cooking  her  father's  sup- 
per on  the  stove.  These  hands  have  carried  food  to  the  poor 
and  lifted  burdens  that  were  heavy.  Truly,  these  are  the 
most  beautiful  hands!  " 

The  old  woman  put  her  hand  in  her  pocket  and  drew  out 
a  most  beautiful  ring;  it  sparkled  with  diamonds  more 
sparkling  than  the  water  drops ;  it  glittered  with  rubies  red- 
der than  the  strawberries ;  it  contained  sapphires  bluer  than 
the  violets.    The  beautiful  hands  reached  out  to  grasp  it. 

But  the  old  woman  lifted  up  the  toil-worn  hands. 

"  The  prize  is  yours,  dear  child.  You  deserve  the  prize 
for  the  most  beautiful  hands.  It  belongs  to  the  hands  that 
have  chosen  to  do  for  others." 

And  the  old  woman  disappeared,  and  the  girls  were  left 
alone. 

After  the  Story 

This  is  only  a  make-believe  story,  but  who  remembers  a 
real  story  in  the  Bible  about  a  boy  or  a  girl  or  a  man  or  a 
woman  who  did  a  right  thing  to  please  God  who  has  done  so 
much  for  all  of  us?     (Get  several  examples.) 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotional  Service 
a  bible  reading  lesson 
"  Even  a  child  maketh  himself  known  by  his  doings, 
Whether  his  work  be  pure,  and  whether  it  be  right. 
The  hearing  ear.  and  the  seeing  eye, 
Jehovah  hath  made  even  both  of  them." 

—Proverbs  20:11,  12. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  373 

*  If  a  brother  or  sister  be  naked  and  in  lack  of  daily  food, 
and  one  of  you  say  unto  them,  Go  in  peace,  be  ye  warmed  and 
filled;  and  yet  ye  give  them  not  the  things  needful  to  the 
body;  What  doth  it  profit ?  "—James  2:15,  16. 


PRAYER 

Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  do  unto  others  as  we  should 
like  them  to  do  unto  us.    Amen. 


Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Try  to  do  three  special  kind  acts  with  your  hands  this 
week. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH  IN  THE  FAR  COUNTRY  OF  EGYPT 

Genesis,  chapters  39,  40 

Memory  Verse 

"Trust  in  Jehovah  with  all  thy  heart." — Proverbs  3:5a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Ancient  Egypt  was  a  small  country  with  a  great  history. 
In  position  it  was  quite  isolated  by  natural  barriers  from  the 
rest  of  the  world. 

The  fertile  portion,  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  stretched  like 
a  green  ribbon  through  the  gray,  barren  regions  on  either 
side.  On  the  western  side  a  monotonous  desert  extended  for 
countless  miles  of  level  sand,  relieved  by  very  few  oases, 
widely  separated  from  one  another,  mere  specks  in  the  desert. 

The  country  on  the  east  is  different  in  character ;  for  here 
great  mountains  of  crystalline  rock  rise  to  immense  heights. 

Beyond  the  delta  of  the  Nile  are  the  waters  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, while  in  the  opposite  direction,  the  south,  the  First 
Cataract  forms  a  natural  barrier. 

Here  in  this  comparatively  small  area  was  located  the 
country  which  had  such  a  career  of  conquest  and  dominion, 
and  whose  civilization  was  a  marvel  to  the  world. 

Egypt  became  a  haven  to  the  Hebrew  race  through  Joseph, 
Jacob's  son.  After  being  sold  as  a  slave  boy  to  Potiphar.  he 
soon  proved  his  superior  ability  and  rose  step  by  step  in  the 
estimation  of  his  master,  and  afterwards  in  the  political  life 
of  the  country. 

The  remarkable  account  of  this  providence  is  the  story  we 
tell  to  the  children  to-day. 

It  was  a  far  step  from  the  condition  of  the  wronged, 
frightened,  slave  boy  sold  by  his  brothers  to  the  merchantmen 

374 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  375 

of  the  caravan  to  the  well-poised  assistant  of  the  Pharaoh  of 
Kg}^pt.  The  children  are  shown  that  throughout  his  wonder- 
ful success,  Joseph  never  failed  to  embrace  every  oppor- 
tunity to  do  the  things  that  he  knew  would  be  well  pleasing 
to  God,  from  the  teachings  he  had  received  from  his  father, 
Jacob,  and  his  old  grandfather,  Isaac,  away  back  in  his  home- 
land in  Canaan. 

Hieroglyphic  pictures  of  the  home  life  and  occupations  in 
Eg}'pt  will  interest  the  children  and  are  easily  obtainable 
from  books  on  Egypt. 

To  Begin  the  Lesson 

Before  the  lesson  make  a  blackboard  decoration  in  the 
form  of  a  caravan  of  camels  made  by  lightly  pasting  some  of 
the  pupils'  best  cuttings  of  camels. 

Talk  for  a  few  moments  about  caravans  and  what  the 
merchantmen  carried  in  their  packs. 

Remind  the  children  that  we  talked  about  a  caravan  last 
week.  It  was  passing  along  a  road  when  Joseph's  brothers 
were  taking  care  of  their  father's  sheep. 

Review  the  facts  of  the  story :  about  the  dreams,  the  coat, 
the  jealousy  of  the  brothers.  Where  was  Joseph?  In  a  pit 
where  his  brothers  had  put  him.  Then  they  sold  their  young 
brother  to  these  men  who  were  going  to  Egypt,  a  far-away 
country. 

The  Story 

The  merchantmen  took  out  their  moneybags  and  counted 
out  the  money.  One,  two,  three — they  counted  until  they  had 
twenty  pieces  of  silver. 

They  gave  these  to  the  brothers.  Then  they  told  Joseph 
to  come  with  them.  He  would  not  see  his  father  that  night. 
He  did  not  know  where  he  was  going,  he  did  not  even  have 
his  beautiful  new  coat  to  take  along  with  him. 

The  camels  and  the  men  and  Joseph  jogged  on.  They 
traveled  for  a  great  many  miles. 

Joseph  was  tired  and  homesick.  The  stars  were  very 
bright  in  the  desert  sky,  and  as  Joseph  lay  there  at  night,  he 
would  wonder  about  his  father ;  he  longed  to  be  home  again. 
He  asked  God  to  take  care  of  him. 


376  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

After  a  while  the  caravan  left  the  desert.  They  came  to 
the  land  of  Egypt.  There  were  cities  with  big  buildings,  and 
streets,  and  people  passing  to  and  fro. 

They  took  Joseph  to  a  market  place.  They  put  him  where 
passers-by  could  see  him  easily;  then  they  offered  him  for 
sale. 

Many  people  looked  at  the  fine-looking  young  boy.  He 
was  good  to  look  at  even  though  he  was  tired  and  frightened 
and  homesick. 

Presently  a  rich  man  named  Potiphar  came  by.  He  looked 
at  Joseph  very  carefully. 

"  ril  buy  the  boy,"  he  said.  Then  he  gave  the  merchant- 
men their  money  and  took  Joseph  to  his  home  to  be  his  slave. 

Joseph  proved  to  be  a  good  slave,  and  soon  he  was  the 
favorite  servant  in  the  household.  Potiphar  was  very  kind 
to  him. 

But  Potiphar 's  wife  told  an  untruth  about  him  to  his 
master.  Potiphar  became  very  angry,  and  poor  Joseph  was 
put  in  prison. 

However,  even  in  prison.  Joseph  tried  to  do  the  things 
that  he  knew  would  l)e  well  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God. 
He  was  so  trustworthy  that  the  prison  keeper  made  him  his 
chief  helper. 

He  was  kind  to  the  other  prisoners.  Two  of  the  prisoners, 
the  king's  chief  butler  and  the  king's  chief  baker,  each  had 
a  strange  dream. 

Joseph  told  them  what  the  dreams  meant,  for  God  helped 
him  to  know  the  meaning. 

(The  dreams  and  their  interpretations  are  given  in  Genesis, 
chapter  40.) 

Now,  two  years  afterwards  Pharaoh,  the  kmg,  had  a 
strange  dream.  He  was  greatly  troubled ;  he  wondered  what 
the  dream  could  mean.  He  called  for  all  the  magicians  and 
wise  men  of  Egypt,  but  none  could  explain. 

Then  the  chief  butler  came  to  Pharaoh  and  said :  "  O 
Pharaoh,  I  know  a  man  who  can  interpret  the  dream.  The 
chief  baker  and  I  were  in  prison  because  thou  wast  angry 
with  thy  servants.  We  both  dreamed  dreams  and  were 
troubled.  There  was  a  young  man  there,  a  Hebrew,  servant 
of  the  captain  of  the  guard.    He  told  us  the  meaning  of  our 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  Zll 

dreams,  and  what  he  said  came  true.  I  was  brought  back  to 
serve  thee,  and  the  chief  baker  was  hanged." 

"  Send  for  the  man !  "  commanded  Pharaoh. 

They  went  to  the  dungeon  and  told  Joseph  that  Pharaoh 
wished  to  see  him. 

Joseph  put  on  clean  clothes  and  came  into  the  presence 
of  Pharaoh.    He  bowed  before  him. 

"  I  have  dreamed  a  dream  and  no  one  can  tell  the  mean- 
ing," said  Pharaoh.  "  I  have  heard  it  said  that  thou  canst 
interpret  it." 

"  It  is  not  in  me,"  answered  Joseph.  "  God  shall  give 
Pharaoh  an  answer." 

Then  the  king  and  all  his  attendants  looked  eagerly  into 
the  face  of  the  young  man  who  began  to  explain  the  meaning 
of  the  strange  dream.  (Tell  the  children  that  they  will  hear 
the  rest  of  the  story  when  they  come  next  time.  It  will  be 
well  to  hold  over  interest  in  this  way  as  there  are  many  inci- 
dents in  this  fine  short  story,  and  all  given  at  one  session  will 
prove  a  bit  long  for  the  Primary  class.  Arranging  the  ac- 
count in  this  way  will  make  it  possible  to  provide  a  short 
review  of  the  story  of  Joseph  as  you  make  connection.) 

SUGGKSTIONS   FOR   the:   DiCVOTlONAL   SERVICE^ 
A  BIBLIv  READING  I.e;SSON 

"  My  son,  forget  not  my  law ; 
But  let  thy  heart  keep  my  commandments :  .  .  . 
Let  not  kindness  and  truth  forsake  thee : 
Bind  them  about  thy  neck ; 
Write  them  upon  the  tablet  of  thy  heart :  .  .  . 
Trust  in  Jehovah  with  all  thy  heart,  .  .  . 
In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  him. 
And  he  will  direct  thy  paths." 

— Selected  from  Proverbs  3:1-6. 

SONG 

A  praise  song  that  is  familiar  to  the  pupils. 

PRAYKRS 

Heavenly  Father,  when  we  are  in  trouble,  help  us  to  re- 
member to  ask  thee  for  help.    Amen. 
The  Lord's  Prayer. 


378  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

SuGGESTKD  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Impromptu   dramatization   of   incidents   in   the   story   of 
Joseph. 

Work  upon  the  rug-weaving. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH'S  KINDNESS  TO  HIS  BROTHERS 

Genesis  41:1  to  45:15 

Mkmory  Verse: 

"  Be  ye  kind  one  to  another,  tenderhearted,  forgiving  each 
other." — Ephesians  4 :32a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

Review  the  geographical  position  of  Egypt  in  so  far  as 
you  were  able  to  give  any  information  to  your  particular 
class. 

Review  the  story  of  Joseph  up  to  the  point  at  which  you 
stopped  at  the  last  lesson. 

Make  a  review  of  the  different  ways  in  which  Joseph 
pleased  God  by  his  right-living. 

Continue  the  story  as  follows : 

The  Story 

Two  full  years  passed  on.  and  Joseph  was  still  in  prison. 
Strange  to  say  the  chief  butler  forgot  all  about  him. 

But  Joseph  lived  on  day  after  day,  doing  the  best  he  could 
in  the  prison :  helping  the  keeper ;  doing  kind  things  for  the 
prisoners.  And  day  after  day  he  prayed  to  God  as  his  father 
had  taught  him  to  do  in  his  old  home,  away  off  in  the  land  of 
Canaan. 

One  morning  there  was  trouble  in  the  king's  palace. 
Pharaoh  had  had  two  strange  dreams!  What  could  they 
mean  ? 

No  one  in  the  palace  could  tell  him.     He  sent  for  all  the 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  379 

wise  men  and  magicians,  but  they  could  not  tell  him  the 
meaning  of  the  dreams. 

Then  the  chief  butler  came  to  Pharaoh  and  said:  "O 
Pharaoh,  I  know  a  man  who  can  interpret  the  dreams.  The 
chief  baker  and  I  were  in  prison  because  thou  wast  angry 
with  thy  servants.  We  both  dreamed  dreams  and  were 
troubled.  There  was  a  young  man  there,  a  Hebrew,  servant 
of  the  captain  of  the  guard.  He  told  us  the  meaning,  and 
what  he  said  came  true.  I  was  brought  back  to  serve  thee, 
and  the  chief  baker  was  hanged." 

"  Send  for  the  man !  "  commanded  Pharaoh. 

They  went  to  the  prison  and  told  Joseph  that  Pharaoh 
wished  to  see  him. 

Joseph  put  on  clean  clothes  and  came  into  the  presence  of 
Pharaoh.    He  bowed  before  him. 

"  I  have  dreamed  a  dream  and  no  one  can  tell  the  mean- 
ing," said  Pharaoh.  "  I  have  heard  it  said  that  thou  canst 
interpret  it." 

"  It  is  not  in  me,"  answered  Joseph.  "  God  shall  give 
Pharaoh  an  answer." 

Then  Pharaoh  spoke :  "  In  my  dream  I  thought  I  stood  by 
the  bank  of  the  river.  (Tell  something  of  the  dreams  as 
given  in  Genesis  41  :17-24.  Tell  about  the  plan  for  the  con- 
servation of  food  in  Egypt,  then  continue  as  follows:) 

Busy,  happy  days  now  came  to  Joseph.  Pharaoh  said: 
"  There  is  no  one  in  all  my  land  so  wise  as  this  man.  Joseph 
shall  be  ruler  over  my  house,  and  next  to  me  in  power  over 
all  my  kingdom."  Then  he  took  off  a  signet  ring,  and  placed 
it  on  Joseph's  finger.  He  gave  him  a  costly  suit  of  clothes, 
and  hung  a  gold  chain  about  his  neck.  He  gave  him  his 
second  chariot  in  which  to  ride.  From  that  day  servants  ran 
before  Joseph,  crying :  "  Bow  the  knee !    Bow  the  knee  !  " 

While  the  people  of  Egypt  had  plenty  of  food,  the  people 
in  Joseph's  old  home  were  hungry.  His  father  was  becomijig 
thin  and  pale ;  his  brothers  had  less  in  their  lunch  bags  when 
they  went  to  pasture  with  the  sheep.  Many  of  the  sheep  had 
died  of  hunger. 

"  I  hear  that  there  is  grain  in  Egypt,  sons.  Go  down  there 
and  buy  some.  We  shall  die,  if  we  do  not  get  food  soon," 
said  the  father.     So  one  day  the  ten  brothers  started  for 


380  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Egypt.     The  father  kept  the  youngest  son,  Benjamin,  with 
him. 

When  the  brothers  reached  Egypt,  they  went  to  the  gov- 
ernor. They  did  not  know  that  this  great  man  was  Joseph. 
But  Joseph  knew  them.  "Whence  have  you  come?"  he 
asked  rather  gruffly. 

"  From  the  land  of  Canaan,  to  buy  food,"  they  answered. 

"  You  are  spies !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  No,  no,  my  lord !  We  have  come  only  to  buy  food.  We 
are  not  spies !  We  are  twelve  brothers.  The  youngest  is 
home ;  one  of  us  is  dead." 

But  the  governor  said  :  "  Y'ou  are  spies  !  You  shall  not  go 
from  here,  unless  you  prove  that  you  are  telling  the  truth." 

(Tell  about  the  arrangement  that  Joseph  made  whereby 
nine  of  his  brothers  were  permitted  to  return  to  their  home ; 
give  the  conversation  showing  the  pricking  of  conscience  re- 
garding their  old  sin.  Describe  the  finding  of  the  money  in 
the  bags,  the  consternation  which  the  whole  aflfair  caused  in 
the  old  home  in  Canaan,  the  despair  of  the  father.  ^ 

Show  how  hunger  caused  the  father  to  beg  his  sons  to 
go  to  Egypt  for  more  food,  their  refusal  unless  accompanied 
by  Benjamin,  and  the  reluctant  consent  after  hearing  Judah's 
proposition.  Tell  about  the  journey.  Describe  Joseph's  prep- 
arations for  the  reception,  his  agitation  upon  seeing  his 
brother  Benjamin.  Tell  about  the  finding  of  the  silver  drink- 
ing cup  in  Benjamin's  sack,  and  the  return  to  Joseph's  house. 
Tell  of  their  humiliation  and  Judah's  appeal.) 

Joseph  could  keep  his  secret  no  longer.  "  Put  everyone 
out  of  the  room,  but  these  men,"  he  exclaimed. 

Then  he  cried  aloud :  "  I  am  Joseph !  Is  my  father  yet 
alive?  Come  near  me,  I  pray!  I  am  Joseph,  your  brother! 
Do  not  be  grieved  any  longer ;  do  not  be  angry  with  your- 
selves.    I  forgave  you  long  ago. 

"  This  has  all  been  God's  wonderful  work.  See  how  God 
has  helped  me  to  provide  against  the  famine !  See  how  God 
has  used  me  to  save  Pharaoh  and  to  feed  you,  my  family! 
Go  home  and  tell  my  father  the  good  news.  Bring  him  down 
to  me !  " 

Then  he  fell  upon  Benjamin's  neck  and  wept.  He  kissed 
all  his  brothers;  and  they  talked  together  lovingly  of  the 
happenings  of  all  those  years. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  381 

Suggestions  for  the:  Devotional  Service 

a  bible  reading  lesson 

"  Behold,  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is 
For  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity  !  " 

—Psalm  133  :L 

"  For  if  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly 
Father  will  also  forgive  you. 

But  if  you  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses,  neither  will 
your  Father  forgive  your  trespasses." 

(Explain  the  word  ''trespasses.") 

SONG 

"  Deeds  of  Kindness." 

PRAYERS 

Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  be  kind ;  help  us  to  be  willing 
to  forgive;  for  we  know  that  is  one  way  to  please  thee." 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (Stress  upon  the  phrase  concerning 
forgiveness.) 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Impromptu  dramatization  of  one  or  two  of  the  incidents  in 
the  story  of  Joseph.  Let  the  children  help  in  the  suggestions 
for  conversation  and  action.  One  studied  attempt  to  forgive 
an  unkindness. 


382 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


Deebs  of  1ktn^ue6S 


Anonymous 


Chas.  E.Boyd* 


1.  Suppose  the  lit  -  tie  cow-slip,    Should  hang  its  golden  cup, 

2.  How  many  deeds  of  kindness        A    lit  -  tie  child  may  do; 


And 
Al   - 


■*1^=^^5E^ 


m 


say,  "I'm  such    a 
though  he    has    so 


ti  -  ny  flower,  I'd  bet  -  ter  not  grow   up."        How 
little  strength,  And  lit  -  tie  wis-dom,    too!  It 


fcd 


^=d3 


s^M^^s^=^*=lp^^^ 


ESSE 


j-***^^  '  _i  — II     1-^  — t— M — J-y— ' i 


EE^^i 


^^■^ 


==t-s=: 


—  ^ v^_- « 1 ^»— I— I 1 ^« — ^ • 

ma  -  ny  a  wea  -  ry      trav-el  -  er    Would  miss  its  fra-grant  smell.  How 

takes  a         lov-ing    spir  -  it         Much  more  than  strength  to  prove        How 


ma  -  ny    a   lit  -   tie    child  would  grieve  To    lose     it    from    the     dell! 
ma  -  ny       things  a    child      may  do       For    oth  -  ers      by      its      love. 


CHAPTER  XLII 

WEEK  DAY  SESSION 

JOSEPH'S  CARE  OF  HIS  FATHER 

Genesis  45:16  to  46:7;  47:1-12 

Memory  VersE 

"  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother."— Exodus  20:12a. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 
The  aim  of  the  teacher  to-day  will  be  to  direct  the  chil- 
dren's attention  in  the  happiest  way  possible  to  their  duty 
toward  father  and  mother ;  and  to  remind  them  of  what  their 
parents  are  constandy  doing  for  them. 

In  no  more  striking  way  could  we  develop  the  thought  so 
tersely  summed  up  in  the  Memory  Verse  than  by  this  beauti- 
ful conclusion  to  the  stories  of  Joseph. 

After  the  lesson,  if  time  permits,  tell  some  modern  inci- 
dent of  a  loving  sacrifice  of  a  parent  for  a  child,  or,  if  you 
prefer,  tell  some  story  of  reciprocation  on  the  part  of  the 

child.  .  ,    . 

In  beginning  the  story  you  may  use  again  some  ot  the 
conversation  and  description  relating  to  the  reunion  scene, 
and  so  make  connection  with  the  account  up  to  the  present 
lesson. 

The  Story 

In  Joseph's  kitchen  the  bakers  and  the  butlers  and  all  the 
servants  were  busy  making  a  splendid  feast.  The  ovens 
were  full  of  bread  and  meat,  and  the  smell  of  the  good 
things  baking  was  enough  to  make  hungry  men  hungrier. 

"  My  poor  brothers  are  thin  and  weak  for  food,  Joseph 
thought  to  himself.  "  They  shall  have  plenty  to  eat  before 
they  go  back  with  their  news  to  my  father 

"Do  not  blame  yourselves  any  longer  for  what  you  have 

383 


384  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

done  to  me,"  he  said  to  the  brothers  who  found  the  news  so 
hard  to  beheve. 

"  Come  near  to  me.  This  was  God's  plan  to  save  your 
Hves.    Tell  me  again  :  Is  my  father  well  ?  " 

The  brothers  said,  "  He  is  alive ;  he  is  well." 

"  You  must  hurry  back  to  my  father,"  said  Joseph.  "  Tell 
him  I  am  alive.  Say  to  him  that  Joseph  is  governor  of  all 
Egypt.  Tell  him  that  Joseph  says :  *  Come  down  to  Egypt ! 
Do  not  wait !  '    Tell  my  father  that  he  shall  live  near  me." 

Then  Joseph  told  his  brothers  how  they,  too,  were  to 
come  down  to  Egypt  where  they  could  have  plenty  to  eat. 

"  There  are  to  be  five  more  years  of  famine,  and  my 
father  must  come,"  he  said.  "  I  will  take  care  of  him.  Tell 
him  to  bring  his  flocks  of  shee]),  his  cattle,  and  all  that  be- 
longs to  him.  Hurry  back  and  bring  my  father.  Tell  him 
of  all  my  glory  in  Egypt.    Tell  him  what  you  have  seen." 

Joseph  then  fell  upon  his  brother  Benjamin's  neck  and 
wept.    Then  all  the  brothers  talked  together. 

Some  one  heard  the  excitement  in  Joseph's  house.  The 
news  spread,  even  though  Joseph  had  sent  everyone  out  of 
the  room. 

*'  Those  strange  men  who  came  to  dine  are  Joseph's 
brothers,"  said  a  servant.  The  news  spread  all  through  the 
kitchen  and  all  through  Joseph's  house. 

Some  one  carried  the  news  to  Pharaoh,  the  king. 

"  Joseph  has  eleven  brothers,  and  they  have  come  to  visit 
him,"  said  some  one  to  Pharaoh. 

The  king  was  fond  of  Joseph,  because  he  had  kept  the 
barns  full  of  food  for  the  people  of  his  land.  So  he  was 
glad  that  Joseph  was  happy. 

All  the  people  liked  Joseph  l)ecause  they  knew  that  he 
had  kept  them  from  starving.  They,  too,  were  glad  that  he 
was  happy. 

"  Tell  Joseph  to  come  to  me,"  commanded  Pharaoh,  and  he 
sent  his  messenger  to  bring  him. 

Joseph  bowed  before  Pharaoh. 

"  Tell  your  brothers  to  go  bring  your  father,"  said  the 
king.  "  Have  all  come  to  Egypt  to  live ;  I  will  take  care  of 
them.  They  shall  have  the  fat  of  the  land  to  eat  as  long  as 
the  famine  lasts.     Send  wagons  for  the  mothers  and  little 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  385 

children,  and  for  your  father.     Send  plenty  for  them  to  eat 
on  the  way." 

So  Joseph  loaded  wagons  and  beasts  of  burden  with  good 
things  to  eat  for  meals  on  the  journey.  Each  brother  had 
a  gift  of  a  change  of  clothing;  and  Joseph's  youngest 
brother,  Benjamin,  had  five  changes,  and  a  splendid  present 
of  money. 

The  happy  procession  was  soon  on  the  way  back  to  the 
old  home,  to  tell  the  wonderful  news  to  the  father,  and  to 
bring  him  to  Egypt. 

They  could  scarcely  tell  the  secret  fast  enough  when  they 
reached  home.  "  Joseph  is  yet  alive !  "  they  cried  to  their 
father. 

"  Joseph  is  yet  alive  ?  No !  No !  That  cannot  be  !  "  cried 
the  old  man. 

"  Yes,  he  is  ruler  of  Egypt,''  they  exclaimed. 
"  No !    That  cannot  be !  "  said  Jacob.    He  could  not  believe 
the  good  news. 

But  they  said :  "  See,  see  !    Here  is  what  he  has  sent  you  !  " 
When  Jacob  saw  the  presents  and  the  wagon  that  Joseph 
had  sent  to  bring  him,  he  exclaimed  :  "  It  is  enough  !    Joseph, 
my  dear  son,  is  alive !     I  will  go  and  see  him." 

So  they  packed  their  belongings,  and  soon  Jacob  was  seated 
in  the  wagon,  the  mothers  and  little  children  were  seated  in 
theirs,  and  the  whole  family  started  for  Egypt  with  their 
cattle  and  sheep  and  all  their  possessions. 

Joseph  went  in  his  chariot  to  meet  his  father,  and  when 
they  met,  he  threw  his  arms  round  his  father's  neck,  and  they 
cried  for  joy. 

Joseph  brought  his  father  to  Pharaoh.  Jacob  lifted  up 
his  hands  and  blessed  the  man  who  had  been  so  kind  to 
Joseph  and  to  them  all. 

Pharaoh  looked  with  affection  at  the  good  old  man  who 
was  the  father  of  Joseph,  and  he  asked,  "  How  old  art 
thou?"  They  talked  together  for  a  while,  and  then  Joseph 
led  his  father  from  the  throne  room. 

For  many  happy  years  Joseph  took  care  of  his  father,  and 
gave  him  the  best  of  food,  beautiful  clothing  to  wear,  and  a 
comfortable  home. 


386  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

A  Poem  that  May  Be  Used 

"  '  I  love  you,  mother,'  said  little  John, 

Then,  forgetting  his  work,  his  cap  went  on, 
And  he  was  off  for  the  garden  swing. 
Leaving  her  water  and  wood  to  bring. 

" '  I  love  you,  mother,'  said  little  Nell, 
*  I  love  you  more  than  tongue  can  tell,' 
Then  she  teased  and  pouted  half  the  day. 
Till  mother  was  glad  when  she  went  to  play. 


« ( 


I  love  you,  mother,'  said  little  Fan, 
To-day  I'll  help  you  all  I  can; 
How  glad  I  am  that  school  doesn't  keep!  ' 
So  she  rocked  the  babe  till  he  fell  asleep. 

Then  stepping  softly,  she  fetched  the  broom, 
And  swept  and  tidied  up  the  room; 
Busy  and  happy  all  day  was  she, 
Helpful  and  happy  as  child  could  be. 

I  love  you,  mother,'  again  they  said. 
These  three  little  children  going  to  bed. 
How  do  you  think  the  mother  guessed 
Which  one  of  the  three  loved  her  best?" 


Suggestions  for  the  Devotional  Service 

a  bible  reading  lesson 

"  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother." — Exodus  20:12a. 
"  My  son,  hear  the  instruction  of  thy  father. 
And  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother." 

— Proverbs  1 :8. 

"  Children,  obey  your  parents  in  all  things,  for  this  is  v^ell- 
pleasing  in  the  Lord." — Colossians  3  :20. 
"  A  wise  son  maketh  a  glad  father  ; 
But  a  fooHsh  son  is  the  heaviness  of  his  mother." 

—Proverbs  10:1. 


SONG 

"  Saviour,  Teach  Me,  Day  by  Day,"  from  "  The  Primary 
and  Junior  Hymnal." 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  387 

PRAYER 

Heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  our  homes  and  for 
the  love  and  care  of  our  fathers  and  mothers.  Help  us  to  be 
loving,  helpful,  and  obedient  children.    Amen. 

Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse. 

Write  a  very  short  but  loving  letter  to  take  home  to  father 
and  mother. 

Mount  a  picture  to  take  home  as  a  gift. 

Do  one  *'  specially  ''  fine  thing  for  father  and  one  for 
mother  this  week. 


SUNDAY  SESSION 

THE  MESSAGE  TO  HIS  UNCLE 

Acts  23:11-35 

Memory  Verse 

"  Be  ye  of  good  courage." — Numbers  13  :20b. 

The  Teacher's  Preparation 

We  have  been  teaching  the  children  that  God  is  pleased 
when  they  act  in  a  right  and  kindly  manner  in  the  home 
circle.  We  have  illustrated  our  theme  by  means  of  the 
story  of  Joseph,  bringing  out  his  obedience  to  his  father ;  his 
willingness  to  follow  the  teachings  of  his  grandfather  and 
father  concerning  the  commands  of  God;  his  gratitude  for 
his  father's  care ;  his  forgiveness  toward  his  brothers  even 
after  they  had  cruelly  wronged  him ;  his  generosity  in  shar- 
ing with  his  brothers ;  his  desire  to  care  for  his  father  in  his 
old  age. 

Let  us  tell  another  story  about  right-doing  toward  one's 
relatives.  The  little  incident  given  in  Acts,  chapter  23,  show- 
ing the  courage  of  Paul's  sister's  son,  will  furnish  an  ex- 
cellent example  of  courage  born  of  love,  and  of  the  far- 
reaching  effect  of  that  act  of  the  youth ;  how  it  was  God's 
plan  by  which  the  life  of  Paul  might  be  spared  to  carry  the 


388  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

message  of  Jesus  to  places  and  people  where  it  never  had 
been  heard  before. 

It  was  in  May,  a.  d.  58.  Paul  had  returned  from  his 
third  missionary  journey  and  had  come  to  Jerusalem. 
Friends  along  the  way  home  had  besought  him  not  to  go  to 
Jerusalem  at  this  time,  but  their  tears  and  entreaties  could 
not  weaken  his  determination.  After  a  long  voyage  partly 
by  land  and  partly  by  sea,  he  had  arrived  there.  He  was 
most  joyfully  received  by  his  friends,  but  all  were  much  con- 
cerned for  his  safety,  for  Paul  was  hated  by  the  Jews,  and, 
of  course,  the  city  was  heavily  guarded  by  the  Romans.  The 
Castle  Antonia,  where  a  garrison  was  always  stationed, 
looked  down  over  the  Temple  courts,  and  a  stairway  led  to 
it  conveniently  in  case  of  need. 

But  Paul  was  no  coward.  He  went  boldly  into  the  Temple, 
and  was  seen  there.  The  Jews  stirred  up  a  mob.  The  riot 
grew  in  violence,  and  Paul  might  have  been  killed  had  it  not 
been  for  the  intervention  of  the  guard  who  rushed  down  from 
the  castle.  He  was  seized  by  the  chief  captain  and  bound, 
the  populace  yelling  constantly.  Paul  tried  to  speak  to  them 
from  the  stairway,  but  they  clamored  for  his  death.  He  was 
hurried  away  and  put  into  prison. 

Forty  Jews  banded  together  and  swore  that  they  would 
neither  eat  nor  drink  until  they  had  killed  Paul. 

In  some  way  Paul's  young  nephew  heard  the  plan,  and 
courageously  carried  the  message  which  was  the  means  of 
saving  his  uncle's  Hfe. 

Make  a  vivid  story  of  these  stirring  events,  showing  how 
a  boy's  loving  courage  for  his  uncle  pleased  God,  and  helped 
God  to  carry  out  his  wonderful  plan. 

The:  Story 

He  was  an  uncle  to  be  proud  of !  He  had  just  returned 
from  a  long  journey  to  lands  over  the  seas.  This  was  the 
third  long  journey  he  had  taken  for  the  same  purpose.  No 
wonder  his  nephew  was  rejoiced  to  have  him  back!  No 
wonder  all  his  friends  were  glad  to  have  him  with  them! 
What  splendid  letters  he  had  written ! 

Uncle  Paul  had  a  special  place  in  his  young  nephew's 
heart. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  389 

But  although  Paul's  sister  and  his  nephew  and  their  friends 
were  proud  of  him,  a  great  many  other  people  hated  him,  for 
just  the  same  reason  that  they  loved  him  and  were  proud  of 
him.  It  was  all  because  of  what  he  had  gone  on  those  jour- 
neys to  do. 

It  was  a  dangerous  thing  in  those  days  in  Jerusalem  to 
talk  much  about  Jesus,  or  even  to  speak  his  name.  It  was 
not  long  after  Jesus  had  died  and  risen  from  the  dead,  and 
had  gone  back  to  heaven  to  live.  Jesus  had  said,  "  Go  tell 
everyone  about  me,"  and  Paul  had  gone  on  three  long,  hard 
journeys  to  "  tell."    The  Jews  hated  him  for  this. 

One  day  soon  after  he  had  come  to  Jerusalem  he  went  into 
the  Temple.    Some  Jews  saw  him. 

"  Help  !  Help  !  Men  of  Israel !  Here  is  that  man  that 
has  been  teaching  all  these  wrong  things  and  making  all  this 
trouble  !    Help  !    Men  of  Israel !  " 

In  less  time  than  you  can  think,  a  mob  had  gathered  round 
the  boy's  uncle.  It  seemed  as  if  the  whole  city  was  in  an 
uproar.  The  men  pushed  against  Paul;  they  dragged  him 
out  of  the  Temple ;  they  shouted  one  thing  and  another.  It 
seemed  as  if  they  would  kill  him. 

Near  the  Temple  was  the  castle  where  the  Roman  soldiers 
watched.  They  heard  the  uproar.  They  rushed  down  the 
stairs ;  they  beat  aside  the  mob.  They  caught  hold  of  Paul 
and  bound  him  with  chains. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  What  have  you  done  ?  "  asked  the  cap- 
tain of  the  soldiers. 

But  the  people  shouted  so  loudly  that  he  could  not  hear. 
He  hurried  Paul  toward  the  castle. 

When  the  boy's  uncle  reached  the  stairway  he  turned  and 
tried  to  speak.  The  yelling  stopped  for  a  time,  but  when  he 
had  done  talking,  they  began  to  shout :  "  Away  with  such  a 
fellow  !    Away  with  him  !    It  is  not  fit  that  he  should  live  !  " 

They  were  so  angry  that  they  tore  their  clothes  and  threw 
dust  in  the  air. 

The  soldiers  hurried  away  with  the  boy's  uncle,  and  he  was 
locked  up  tight,  to  spend  the  night  in  prison. 

But  the  angry  Jews  were  not  satisfied.  Forty  bad  men 
made  a  bold  plan  to  get  hold  of  him. 

"  We  will  none  of  us  either  eat  nor  drink  until  we  have 
killed  this  Paul,"  swore  one  of  the  forty  men. 


390  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

Now  a  boy  who  has  a  good  uncle  is  bound  to  do  what  he 
can  to  help  him.  In  some  way  this  boy  heard  that  bold,  bad 
plan. 

"  Kill  my  Uncle  Paul !  "  he  thought  to  himself.  "  Indeed, 
you  shall  not,  if  I  can  help  it !  Kill  the  man  who  has  carried 
his  message  so  bravely  !  " 

Then  Paul's  nephew  in  some  way  got  into  the  castle  where 
the  Roman  soldiers  were  stationed.  He  reached  his  Uncle 
Paul  in  the  prison. 

"  Uncle  Paul,  forty  men  have  planned  to  kill  you !  They 
have  bound  themselves  neither  to  eat  nor  to  drink  until  they 
have  slain  you !  They  are  now  ready  to  carry  out  their 
plan !  " 

Paul  beckoned  to  one  of  the  soldiers. 

*'  Take  this  young  man  to  the  chief  captain.  He  has 
something  to  tell  him,"  said  he. 

The  soldier  led  the  youth  to  the  chief  captain. 

"  The  prisoner  asked  me  to  bring  this  young  man  to  you. 
He  has  something  to  say,"  said  the  soldier. 

"What  is  it  that  thou  hast  to  tell  me?"  asked  the  chief 
captain  taking  Paul's  nephew  by  the  hand. 

'*  The  Jews  have  made  a  plan  to  kill  my  uncle !  They  are 
going  to  ask  you  to  bring  him  down  to-morrow.  Do  not 
do  it !  Forty  men  lie  in  wait  to  kill  him !  They  have 
bound  themselves  together  neither  to  eat  nor  to  drink  until 
they  have  slain  my  uncle  !  "    Then  he  told  all  he  had  heard. 

"  Do  not  tell  anyone  these  things  that  you  have  told  me," 
said  the  captain.     Then  he  sent  him  away. 

He  called  two  of  the  guard. 

"  Get  ready  two  hundred  soldiers,  and  seventy  horsemen, 
and  two  hundred  spearsmen.  Have  them  ready  by.  nine 
o'clock  to-night.  Bring  a  horse  for  the  prisoner.  •  Hurry 
him  out  of  the  city  to  the  house  of  the  governor.  I  will 
write  a  letter  to  him." 

At  nine  o'clock  all  the  soldiers  were  ready.  The  prisoner 
was  mounted  on  his  horse.  They  all  rode  out  of  the  gates 
of  Jerusalem. 

What  could  forty  Jews  do  against  all  those  Roman 
soldiers? 

The  brave  boy's  Uncle  Paul  was  spared  to  go  on  with  the 
work  that  God  had  planned  for  him  to  do. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  391 

Suggestions  for  the  Devotionai,  Service 

a  bibive  reading  i^esson 

"Be   strong   and    of    good    courage;   be    not   affrighted 
neither  be  thou  dismayed." — Joshua  1  :9b. 

"The  righteous  are  bold  as  a  hon." — Proverbs  28:1b. 

"  Be  strong,  and  let  your  heart  take  courage." 

—Psalm  31 :24a. 

"Jehovah  is  the  strength  of  my  Hfe; 
Of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid?  "—Psalm  27:1b. 


SONG 

"  Father  in  Heaven !     Bless  Thy  Little  Children,"   from 
The  Primary  and  Junior  Hymnal." 


PRAYER 

Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  have  courage  when  we  should 
do  things  that  seem  hard  for  us  to  do.  Help  us  to  remember 
that  thou  wilt  help  us  if  we  ask.  We  know  that  this  will  be 
well  pleasing  in  thy  sight.    Amen. 


Suggested  Activities 

Copy  the  Memory  Verse  or  one  of  the  verses  of  the  Bible 
Reading  Lesson. 

Rug- weaving  or  scrapbook-pasting. 


HANDWORK 

Although  the  handwork  which  we  use  in  connection  with 
the  church  school  should  not  be  an  end  in  itself  it  is  a 
valuable  form  of  activity  if  it  is  used  correctly  and  is  thought- 
fully prepared  by  the  teacher. 

It  provides  an  avenue  of  expression  and  deepens  im- 
pressions. It  is  much  easier  for  the  child  to  remember  a 
form  that  he  himself  has  cut  or  folded  or  molded  or  drawn. 

There  should  be  a  definite  connection  of  these  problems 
with  the  lessons,  and  they  should  be  of  real  teacliing  value. 

Suggestions  are  given  under  the  headings  of  the  "  Activi- 
ties "  for  the  lessons.  For  the  sake  of  classes  able  to  do 
more  than  the  work  already  mentioned,  the  following  sup- 
plemental work  has  been  planned. 

Take  as  your  handwork  subject  the  Oriental  house:  its 
form  and  peculiarities  ;  the  flat  roof  and  outside  stairway ;  its 
furnishings  ;  flocks  in  the  near-by  fields ;  caravans  passing  on 
the  roads  outside ;  the  family  and  their  dress. 

Models  and  patterns  are  given  in  the  following  pages,  and 
the  teacher  may  add  others  as  desired. 

For  the  house  use  two  boxes,  one  smaller  than  the  other, 
and  construct  the  house  as  shown  in  the  cut  on  page  393. 

Full  instructions  are  given  for  the  weaving  of  the  rug. 
These  were  used  for  beds  and  various  purposes,  and  were 
made  from  the  wool  of  the  flocks  which  formed  so  great  a 
part  of  the  wealth  of  the  land. 

Water  jars  and  mills  and  other  utensils  may  be  modeled 
from  plasticine  which  may  be  obtained  in  small  boxes  or 
in  bulk. 


392 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS  393 


394 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


395 


396  PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 

.       Rug 

Preparation  for  Lksson  L  Tan-colored  thread,  each 
piece  cut  about  V/2  yards  long,  four  pieces  for  each  child. 
Older  children  can  do  this  cutting. 

Pieces  of  cardboard  (light  enough  in  weight  to  puncture 
fairly  easily  with  chenille  needle).  Size:  7>4"  x  U".  Meas- 
ure off  1"  from  each  corner.  Draw  lines  and  measure  off 
dots  y^"  apart  according  to  diagram.  Make  holes  in  dots. 
It  is  a  good  plan  to  thread  one  model  during  the  week. 

Lesson  L  Take  another  model  and  thread  it  before  the 
children,  letting  them  thread  their  own  at  the  same  time. 

Preparation  for  Lesson  IL  Have  a  large  quantity  of 
dark  blue,  red,  and  rather  dull  orange  cord,  cut  15"  long. 

Lesson  II  and  Following  Lessons.  With  chenille  needle 
or  bodkin  threaded  with  dark  blue,  weave  over  and  under  the 
tan  threads,  lengthwise  of  tlie  cardboard.  Fringe  hangs  at 
each  end.  Weave  enough  blue  to  fill  Yz"  of  space.  Then 
weave  in  two  red  threads,  next  two  orange,  two  red,  two 
orange,  two  red.  Go  to  other  side  of  rug.  Make  same 
border.  Then  fill  in  center  of  rug,  making  a  half  inch  of 
dark  blue,  then  one  colored  thread,  half  inch  of  blue,  then 
one  colored  thread,  and  so  on. 

Finish  by  tying  fringe:  each  four  threads  together. 

Use  other  colors  if  desired. 


PRIMARY  CHURCH  SCHOOL  LESSONS 


397 


n 

1 

.  1" 

A 

7/2'wide 

B 

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i 

J 

neath 

^ 

Fasten  underneath/*^ 
with   knot^ 

Princeton  Theoloaical  Semjnaijj  Libra^^^^ 

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